The Elementals
by BurnsX3
Summary: Elsa is part of the Line of the Aqua Magus, from the ancient Elementals. Since she was young, she has been trained to hone her powers and make herself stronger. One day, she stumbles upon a fiery magician; enticed by her flaming red hair and bright personality, she finds herself drawn. However, this girl will rock her world - and the world itself. Modern!Au, none wincest.
1. Prologue (part 1)

**Disclaimer/claimer: Disney owns Frozen and all its characters. I do not own any Disney characters associated with this story. However, all characters not associated with Disney in this story are of my, BurnsX3, creation, and are therefore mine. All ideas associated with the Order of the Elements, the basis of this story, are of my creation, and are therefore mine. Anyone using these ideas exclusively without my permission and/or claiming the Elemental idea for their own and/or not crediting me for my original story idea will be reported to the staff of fanfiction . net, fictionpress . com, or any website that the uncredited story is on, and the story will be shut down. With that said, enjoy this chapter!**

 **Elsa**

When I was younger, I used to play with ice. It was my favorite thing, truly. My dad and I would play games with it and such, however odd that might sound. I didn't really care. But when I was seven, I realized that it was strange that, in the dead of summer, I could make ice come straight from my hands onto the burning hot pavement, and nothing could melt it, no matter how long I left it there.

I also found it weird that my dad could fill my glass with water when it was empty, just by drawing his fingers through the air and then dropping the water he had collected into my glass.

I asked my dad about it, and he paled, just a little. But he was, in a way, like Atticus from To Kill a Mockingbird: you asked him a question, he'd give you the direct answer. So he told me.

I am part of the Glaciem Magistri.

I am from a long bloodline of Elementals, a group of people who, well, can control the elements. My family reigns from the line of the Aqua Magus, the Line that can control water and its various forms.

But, I suppose for now, I'll just tell you my name; keep it simple.

Elsa Isånd, nice to meet you.

 **A/N:** Howdy. I know this chapter is, in essence, the shortest piece of shit ever, lol. I have a really cool Elsanna story that I think the community will receive well, which makes me excited. I'm quite tired as I edit this, so, in the next chapter's author's note I'll explain each Elemental blood line and the houses of each line in detail. For now, I'll give you the main rundown of each house and some of the branches that come off them. I'll eventually explain what exactly the Elementals are (there's really cool mythology behind it), but for now, the most basic definition I can give you is that the Elementals are four sacred bloodlines, which trace back to very ancient times. Each bloodline controls an element. There is one person at the head of each line at any given time, the ultimate Magus (or Magum) of the line, who has mastered all forms of the element they posses, therefore assuming the title of the bloodline; and then there is the head of the Elementals, the Ultimum Maleficus.

This person is a BOSS, man. They have to have a very special mix of the Elemental bloodlines within them (which is difficult to obtain, since people within the Lines tend to either marry within the bloodline or with someone outside the Elementals) to be able to master all 4 elements. The person must be at least 21, as long as the potential UM has mastered all forms of the elements and is prepared to lead the Elementals. This person is very spiritual, as there is also must be a connection with the Gods they believe in, so they might interpret the Gods' will through dreams and visions. There have been people as young as 25 in this position, as well as people as old as 83. It all depends who is available and ready to lead at the time. There has been an equal mix of men and women in this position, as it is not dynastic and hereditary, but rather an election by the Magi, house heads, and branch heads. The same happens with the other positions stated prior. If there is only on person available for a position, they will automatically become the position needed.

The Line of the Aqua Magus - the sanction of the Elementals that controls water. This is the line that Elsa, her family and her ancestors belong to. The two houses that come off of this house are: the Aqua Dulci Regem (controls fresh water), the Aqua Salsa Ascensorem (controls salt water). From these two houses came many branches, as different forms of magic developed over the centuries. This is the same with all the other branches as well. Elsa technically belongs to both the ADR and the ASA, considering she controls ice and is part of the Glaciem Magistri. This is really rare. I'll elaborate on it later.

The Line of the Ignis Magum - the sanction of the Elementals that controls fire. From here we see the two main branches: the Fulminis Dominus (controls electricity) and the Flammam Regis (controls fire).

The Line of the Terra Magus - the sanction of the Elementals that controls the earth and its properties. Branches: the Petra Aduitor (controls rock and metal) and the Naturae Portentum (controls plants and nature).

The Line of the Aer Magus - the sanction of the Elementals that controls the air. Branches: the Tempestas Creationis (controls the weather and atmosphere) and the Aer Movens (controls the actual air [as in, they can move the air to their free will around them]).

Alright, see you guys next week! ~ Burns


	2. Prologue (part 2)

**Disclaimer/claimer: Disney owns Frozen and all its characters. I do not own any Disney characters associated with this story. However, all characters not associated with Disney in this story are of my, BurnsX3, creation, and are therefore mine. All ideas associated with the Order of the Elements, the basis of this story, are of my creation, and are therefore mine. Anyone using these ideas exclusively without my permission and/or claiming the Elemental idea for their own and/or not crediting me for my original story idea will be reported to the staff of fanfiction . net, fictionpress . com, or any website that the uncredited story is on, and the story will be shut down. With that said, enjoy this chapter!**

 **Elsa**

My dad and I had always lived in a secluded neighborhood up in the mountains (specifically the North Mountains), where there were only a few other houses around us. It was amazing; we had a huge lake nearby and the view of the mountains themselves was stunning. In the summer, it never got too hot, aside from a few days in July. In the winter, though, everything got freezing and it snowed at least once every week.

Winter has always been my favorite season. My dad, maybe once or twice a winter, would take me down to the city at the bottom of the mountain, Arendelle, to magicians and ice sculpture exhibits. He would laugh when my jaw would drop at the exceptionally beautiful sculptures; not necessarily the biggest, but almost surreal in how crazily detailed they were.

Once I found out about my abilities with ice, I was immensely excited to see that I too could make the sculptures I had always looked upon when I was little. I let myself dream, and it was one of the best things my dad could've let me do as a young child. But, alas; eventually, the sleeper must awaken. As I got older, my powers got stronger, and I started losing control of them. The worst would be when my emotions were heightened, then I really would lose it; eventually, I hurt our dog, Julfr, and almost killed him because I was scared by a bear in the woods by our house. I was nine at the time.

Once I was ten, my dad took me to see a man by the name of Pål Østberg. It was the first big trip we took out of town; we had to travel all the way from northern Norway down to southern Norway. We even got to go on a plane! I hated the people, though - they made me feel claustrophobic and extremely nervous. My dad, apparently, got the same way.

My dad and Pål were supposedly best friends, hailing from the same branch of Aqua Dulci Regem: Aquarum Halitus. They could gather moisture from the air and use it to their will.

Pål's apartment was in the dead center of a city. His place was very cozy, and made me feel at ease. The living room had a warm shade of mustard yellow, with an olive green accent wall. His couch was very comfortable, a deep charcoal. His TV was small, and there were pictures of he and his friends, including some pictures with my father. They looked years younger, my dad without his mustache and Pål without the slight bit of grey at his temples, posing with water figures next to their faces.

They gave each other a quick, brotherly hug and said their greetings, Pål offering my father and I drinks.

"What should we do with her, Pål?" he asked as Pål entered the kitchen, "You know I married Iðunn to avoid Elsa from getting involved with the Aqua Magus; but her powers keep getting stronger and stronger, and one way or another she needs to control it."

"Hm…" Pål hummed, contemplating the options at hand as he walked back out, "Well, I suppose you have three options, really. One, have her stay secluded in the mountains with you as her powers spiral out of control; two, take her to the Aqua Magus - I think the current one is de l'Eau, a man from Niger - and see what he wants to do with her; or three, take her to Ek. You know that this is probably the best option, Agðar." My father did not looked pleased with any of the options.

"Papa?" I asked quietly, tugging on his sleeve gently.

"Yes, sweetheart?" he responded, looking at me with a bit of a strained smile.

"Who's, uh, Ek? And the Aqua Magus?" I replied. He sighed.

"The Aqua Magus is a person who can full control water; every single form of it. And Ek… Tonna Ek has the same powers as you do, dear. She has full control of it, actually, and teaches other people how to control their powers as well." My face must've lit up like a Christmas tree. I bounced up and down, giddy at the prospect of seeing another person with my powers; another person I could identify with. My father, on the other hand, only look more displeased as when I first asked about Ek.

"Well, let's go see her Papa! Let's go, let's go, let's -"

"Elsa," Pål's deep baritone cut me off. "Ek lives in Svalbard." My bouncing stopped, but my excitement quelled only very slightly.

"So? She can show me how to make the ice sculptures like the people in the city at the bottom of the mountain, and show me how to do super cool things with my ice and stuff, and Dad, how cool would that be?! She could show me and stuff and we could live their, Dad, and -"

"No," my dad said, stopping my rambling, " _we_ wouldn't." All my excitement immediately died down.

"What?" I asked.

"All the things you said were true, Elsa. You would be able to control your powers, do amazing things with them, even make the beautiful ice sculptures you've always wanted to. But if you want to go see Ek, Elsa… You'd be going alone." It hit me like a freight train.

"... B-but why? Couldn't you live with me? Why wouldn't you come?!" My voice was continually rising into a shout. He knelt down to my level and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"I have too many responsibilities at home, Elsa. I have my job, Julfr, the community… I can't just up and leave," he shook his head. "It just wouldn't be possible to go with you, hun. However, Pål has a point: taking you to Ek is the best option at this point." I started to tear up and shook my head.

"I don't want to leave you, Papa," I whispered. He engulfed me in a huge hug.

"I don't want to leave you either, my dear," came his quiet response. "But some things have to happen. We'll still see each other, Elsa. We'll talk to each other every day, and I'll try to visit you during the spring and summer, at least during your birthday week." He turned to Pål.

"Do you have Ek's number?" he asked. Pål nodded and unlocked a mahogany drawer, proceeding to hand my dad a piece of paper with a long list of names. My dad picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Hello, Tonna Ek? … This is Agðar Isånd, of the Aquarum Halitus… Haha, I see you've heard my name prior… I need to talk to you about my daughter, Elsa… Yes? … Well, she's of the Glaciem Magistri, as she has inherited part of her great grandfather's gift and can use… Really? Fabulous! Thank you so very much, Tonna, I appreciate it, truly… Farewell, see you in a year."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Fast forward a year later, to when I am eleven. My father and I boarded a plane to Svalbard in June, just after my birthday. I cried on the way to the plane, I cried on the plane, and I cried off the plane. How I even had that much water in my body is beyond me.

The ride to Tonna's house was filled with classical music and gentle words, comforting words. We held hands the entire way to her house, my dad telling me to sleep.

It was so painful.

But, it was so exhilarating. I was going to finally, _finally_ meet someone who was like me; someone who could help me.

When we pulled up to her house, I was astonished. It was hardly a house. In fact, I can't quite say that it was - rather, a temple. Moss danced up its thick columns in each corner, green vines starkly contrasting with the white of the stone.

"Hello!" A higher voice came from the left, belonging to a short woman with dirty blonde hair bound up into a high ponytail, ochre brown eyes, and light complexion was wearing a black sweatshirt and grey yoga pants, looking quite comfortable and bounded over to us, smile gracing her face.

"You must be Agðar and Elsa. I'm Tonna, nice to meet you," she greeted us, sticking out her hand to my dad first. He took it and smiled politely.

"A pleasure," my father replied. I took her hand shyly and introduced myself. For a moment, I felt unsure of myself. I didn't know if I could do this; if I could leave Papa and go with a woman I had just met. However, looking into her comforting gaze put me at ease. She had a very relaxed and controlled air about her, and from what little I had seen, she was polite and well-mannered.

But time flew, and before long my bags were being handed to me and before I knew it, it was time to say my farewells to my father.

It was a quiet exchange. I hugged him tightly, putting all the words I couldn't articulate into my gesture. He returned the embrace with just as equal enthusiasm. He swore to call me when he landed and got home. But our embrace wasn't one full of tears, but rather of promise; of hope.

We knew that this was what was best for me, what I needed. We knew this would be a painful process, but that we would keep in touch everyday.

We knew I would succeed, with Tonna Ek.

We knew I would dream again.

 **A/N:** Whoo! That was one hell of a chapter to write, honestly. It took me a whopping four hours in total, basically taking up most of my free time. Alright, so in the last author's note, I mentioned that there is really cool mythology involved in the Elementals. Obviously, I'll let this suggestion stew over a few chapters, since I'm just starting off, but would you guys like me to start a side series detailing the Myths of the Elementals? I think it would be sick for me to write, but I don't want to waste my time if none of you will read it. Another option would be something akin to a small myth at the end of each chapter. I'll leave that up to you guys. Also, I made Elsa's bloodline, dating all the way back to the formation of the Elementals, in 332 BCE.

Also, if any of you want translations to the immense amount of Latin names I use for the Elemental titles and such, leave some comments and I'll start giving you guys the meanings behind the names.

Almost done here, guys. I'm going to try and make my update schedule every Saturday or Sunday. This week is a very rare occurrence, as where I live is going to get hit with a huge amount of snow this weekend and there are supposed to be huge power outs. Better a day early than three days late, you know? I won't always be able to make my quota of one chapter a week, as I have a very busy life with school and such, so sometimes I may update on Monday, or sometime later in the week.

Lastly! We're about to hit a timeskip, ten years into the future. Be prepared for the Elsanna to begin, yo! From hereonout, we will no longer be in the first person point of view, but rather the third person. So if you don't like third person fics, now would be the time to stop reading. I personally think that third person is a really cool point of view to write in and will help me progress as a writer. Don't worry, though. It will be very distinct as to who's head we're in at what time.

Está bien, ¡te veré la semana que viene! ~ Burns


	3. The Magician

**Disclaimer/claimer: Disney owns Frozen and all its characters. I do not own any Disney characters associated with this story. However, all characters not associated with Disney in this story are of my, BurnsX3, creation, and are therefore mine. All ideas associated with the Order of the Elements, the basis of this story, are of my creation, and are therefore mine. Anyone using these ideas exclusively without my permission and/or claiming the Elemental idea for their own and/or not crediting me for my original story idea will be reported to the staff of fanfiction . net, fictionpress . com, or any website that the uncredited story is on, and the story will be shut down. With that said, enjoy this chapter!**

 **A/N:** This is a long one. Prepare yourselves.

 **Ten Years Later**

Tonna Ek and Elsa Isånd were walking around the Temple in mid-July, taking a break from the grueling work of battle training. When Tonna had originally introduced this aspect of training to a fourteen year old Elsa, she was incredibly surprised that she even needed it. Tonna had then sat her down and spoke to her of the inner turmoil that went on within the Lines of the Elementals, and that, once she was inducted properly as a full member of the Glaciem Magistri, she would be required to attend certain meetings amongst the Aqua Magus branches. This would make her target to people of the other Lines, such as those of the Ignis Magum, whom much deep rooted rivalry was present. Therefore, she needed to know how to defend herself.

"But Tonna, if we just live on the island, would that really matter?" Elsa had asked, still perplexed to the training of battle.

"Child, I'm flattered that you would want to live here that long with me. However, you cannot escape the fate that is in your hands; you are of the Aqua Magus, and therefore, you have duties to fulfill. Not only that… If we were to be launched into a sixth Great War of the Elements… You would need to know how to fight. Not just for yourself, but for the entirety of the Aqua Magus and the Elementals themselves," Tonna explained.

But now, Elsa had become one of the finest warriors the older woman had seen to date. Her quick wit and reflexes were honed in upon as the years went on. Today, perhaps, would be the day that Tonna would be beaten by Elsa. They did have a bet going on, you know.

"Alright, child, we've had enough of a break," Tonna stated, "time to -" she cut herself off by the spike of ice sent flying at Elsa's head from her hand.

"Fight!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 _Clang!_ The sound of ice swords meeting each other's surfaces resounded throughout the temple. A bead of sweat rolled down Elsa's left temple, her upper and lower arm muscles straining against the strength of Tonna's sword pressing against her own. She gritted her teeth and pushed hard enough for she and her mentor to shuffle a few meters away from each other. Her calculation began.

They had been going at it for roughly two hours under the relentless July sun. For whatever reason, the sun was being unbearably hot today. That said, Tonna had disadvantages.

 _Her left foot is still bothering her from earlier, when I stomped on it; she favors her right side heavily, therefore her dominant hand, now that we're using swords, must be taken out, since she holds her sword in that hand; her stamina is depleting quickly, as her age is wearing her down, along with this heat, making her breaths shorter and her sweat output more excessive, therefore leading her to become dehydrated much quicker than I would. Her movements will soon become sluggish, her reflexes less responsive, and her muscles requiring a higher amount of energy to push against my force. Her left knee is weak, therefore I should go for that._

 _Game plan: go in, feigning an attack to her stomach but truly going for her right hand, dropping the sword to take her own from her hand, kick her left knee, momentarily stunning her, then take the opportunity to knock her down. Sword at neck, round over, I win the bet, we go to Geilo!_

The analysis took less than a second, and the execution of the plan took just under ten.

In the end, Elsa was standing triumphantly over her mentor, sword sparkling in the reflection of the light.

"Sjekk kompis, min venn," Elsa stated with a smile. Tonna gave a tired grin and shrugged her shoulders.

"Jeg innrømmer nederlag. Du vinner." Elsa tossed away the older lady's sword and offered her a helping hand. Her heart was racing; she beat Tonna in combat! Tonna sensed her excitement and she herself reflected on how excited she was to go to Geilo the first time as well.

"Elsa," she said. The platinum blonde's attention drifted over the older lady.

"I'm officially inducting you into the Glaciem Magistri, now." Elsa's eyes went wide for a few moments, but she dropped down on one knee.

It was finally happening.

Tonna furnished an intricate ice broadsword. Its half opaque appearance reflected in most all directions, creating a fantastic array of light beams. With a deep breath, Tonna began to repeat the same induction speech that her predecessors spoke and her successors would speak to all new members of the Glaciem Magistri.

"Elsa Isånd, you have taken it upon yourself to learn the ways of the Glaciem Magistri, to uphold its values and ideals, and, by extension, to teach these values and ideals of your predecessors to your successors. You have been taught the ways of battle of the Glaciem Magistri, in which your mentor has deemed your skills in combat proficient. By choosing to go down the path of the Glaciem Magistri, you have not only honored yourself, but also the Lady Glaciem Magistri, the Lady Aqua Dulci Regem and the Lord Aqua Salsa Ascensorem, the Lord Aqua Magus, and the Lady Ultimum Maleficus herself. Do you swear to uphold the values of the Elementals; to fight with valor, honor, loyalty, virtue and diligence; to put your life on the line if needed for the cause of the House of the Aqua Magus and the Elementals; and to continue on the path of the Elementals for the remainder of your life?" Tonna recited in Latin.

"I, Elsa Isånd, swear to uphold the values of the Elementals, to fight for the good and the cause of the Aqua Magus and the Elementals. I will sacrifice my life if needed, and I will continue on the path of the Elementals for the rest of my life," Elsa responded. Tonna tapped both her shoulders lightly with the tip of the sword.

"Then by the power invested in me by my predecessors and the Aqua Magus, I hereby declare you fully fledged member of the Branch of the Glaciem Magistri, of the Houses of both the Aqua Dulci Regem and the Aqua Salsa Ascensorem, of the Line of the Aqua Magus, of the Order of the Elementals. Please rise, Elsa," Tonna asked. Elsa rose to her feet before her mentor. Tonna handed her the broadsword.

"Should you ever go into a war, this is the sword you are to use," she commanded. Elsa nodded and brandished a scabbard to place the sword in it.

"Now," started Tonna with a smile, "We go to Geilo!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

The airplane ride to Geilo was full of excitement. Elsa couldn't have been more giddy, which was a special treat for Tonna; Elsa was typically so reserved, so in control, quietly calm now that her powers were well within her grasp. When Tonna had first met her, she was a loose cannon, always ready to fire. Even then, when she was twenty one, Elsa still had to fight her powers when her anxiety striked up, or in any case where her emotions were heightened.

Of course, Tonna had refused to let Elsa's obvious General Anxiety Disorder impair her training. The pair went to Longyearbyen when Elsa was thirteen to get a formal diagnosis and medication, and since, Elsa had been much better in controlling her emotions and her general life improved. She became much more masterful when it came to training, and, now that her head was generally clearer, she was able to think and respond much quicker.

 _And to think, that the nervous young girl I took under my wing would now be a confident warrior and skilled user of ice,_ the older woman thought. She watched as Elsa made intricate little flowers of ice next to her. She laughed internally as she observed the platinum blonde sticking her tongue out in concentration, a habit she picked up from Tonna.

 _Her mother would be so proud of her; I know I am._

"Ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seatbelts. The flight will be taking off in about three minutes," a voice over the PA said. Elsa stopped her flower crafting and she and Tonna made mirrored movements to strap themselves in. However, Tonna managed to knock over her open bottle of water halfway, and it would've spilled all over Elsa.

Would've.

Instead, Elsa stopped the water in mid air, leaving the bottle on the ground and small mass of liquid floating in front of her face, her body water free. Both ladies stared upon the mass in wonder.

"How the hell did that happen?" They asked at the same time. After a shared, confused smile, Elsa picked up the bottle of the ground with one hand and lowered the blob of water back into it with the other. Slowly, Elsa handed the bottle back to Tonna, who took it with just as equal speed.

"Uhm, okay," Elsa said quietly.

 _Could she be…?_ Tonna thought, _I mean, her great grandfather was, of course, Lukas…_

"Five, four, three, two… We have liftoff!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Geilo was all she could have imagined and more. Elsa's face lit up with such excitement upon being somewhere unexplored, somewhere that her feet had never touched.

 _And the people… My, the people!_ She had seen so many interesting faces. The busy streets held so much personality, so much vitality, so unlike the dirt pathways that surround the Temple back in Svalbard. On one corner was a flower vendor, the next, a shoe polisher.

 _By Vita, chocolate is delicious!_ She purchased some dark chocolate from a local stand, and it was the most delectable thing her tongue had ever tasted. The way the piece had melted against her tongue, the rich, heady taste overwhelming her senses, she found herself in love with this new town of Geilo. And that night, the night to come would bring her such irreplaceable joy. Her heart sang out to the heavens.

"You earned it, kjære," Tonna said with a smile, her hand on Elsa's shoulder disrupting Elsa's thoughts. It was evident how much Elsa was enjoying herself, in the town of Geilo. It once again made her reflect on her past self, and how much her pupil served as a mirror into her past. For a moment, her smile faltered, thinking of that passed time, and a certain man associated with it. But quickly, she shook the thought.

 _I'm okay._

"Alright, little fox. Let's go check in."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Elsa's first experience in a hotel was an… interesting one. She was not used to the beds, nor the small soaps in the bathroom that she actually thought was candy upon first inspection.

"Oh, how cute, little butterscotch snowflakes," she exclaimed. The moment just before she popped the soap in her mouth, Tonna attempted to stop her, only processing the shout then. It happened in slow motion, so it seemed.

"Elsa, no!" Tonna reached her hand out towards Elsa's, Elsa's eyes drifted in her direction, and then widened once the soap entered her mouth.

Time stopped.

And then Elsa's face screwed up in a mixture of disgust and shock, and she spat out the small soap, coughing up a storm. Tonna attempted to feel sympathetic and keep a straight face, but to no avail. She burst out laughing, her cackle filling Elsa's ears and making her scowl.

"It's not funny, Tonna," she murmured, cheeks obtaining a light coating of red.

"You ate a SOAP, E-Elsa! It's damn hilarious," she exclaimed, almost in tears from her laughter. Elsa tried to pout, but her mentor's laughter was contagious, and she found herself smiling at her own sheer stupidity.

"Fine. It was a little bit funny… But," she launched a soft snowball at Tonna, hitting her square in the face. It was her turn to screech with laughter.

"Th-th-that was funnier," Elsa howled.

 _Oh, two can play at that game,_ thought Tonna.

"Afli!" a bobcat of snow appeared beside Tonna, reaching her knees. Elsa's smile quickly faded.

"Spit snowballs at her, Afli," Tonna commanded, smile lines from her years becoming prominent. Elsa neatly dodged the sloppy throws, knowing they weren't intended for battle.

"Æinarr!" A fox of snow appeared next to her, a wicked grin crossing his features.

"Fight Afli." The masters stepped back as their two pets circled each other. Finally, Afli pounced on Æinarr, though his claws were sheathed; no, no harm was intended from this battle. After a while of rolling around, Æinarr pinned Afli down, then cackled the fox's laugh. The two went back to their masters, expecting praise.

"Tonna," Elsa said, looking toward her mentor, "Can we please go to the festival now?" Tonna smiled.

"Of course."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When they arrived, it was dusk. There were lights around every street light in commemoration of the Ice Music Festival. It was crazy, the atmosphere, how wonderful everything was.

And, by Vita, the music, the instruments, the general sculptures were fantastic. Elsa found herself captivated by the ice string quartet; the ice of the instruments gave the sound such a unique quality, so enticingly beautiful, she herself wondered if she could make such a detailed instrument. With her skills, it shouldn't be difficult. But the music, the music was the icing on the cake.

She reflected on the first time she went to Arendelle to see the Ice Sculpture Gallery, when she was but four years old. So long ago it had been, in a time where everything was so completely different.

"Papa would have loved this," she said quietly, a small grin gracing her lips. She went over to the harpist and watched him play, enticed for the next several minutes.

"Yo. Blondie," a voice came from behind her, snapping her from her trance. There was a man behind her with dark brown hair and green eyes.

"You wanna see some magic?" he asked. She almost laughed.

"I should be asking you that question, sir," she replied. He looked at her in confusion.

"Uh, anyway. There's this chick in town, Anna Branansikt, does a whole bunch of really cool fire stunts. It'd probably be a good change of pace for you, considering all this damned ice…" he said looking around with barely concealed distaste, "Here's the card. The first show is at eight, bring about three hundred krones if you want a good view." He handed her the card and left. There were gold leaf letters imprinted on the card, with a flame insignia on the lower right hand corner.

"Hm. Maybe I will go… There's about ten thousand krones between Tonna and I, three hundred to spend wouldn't hurt," she thought aloud. It was currently about 7:45, almost time for the show to begin. She texted Tonna.

 _Going to check out the town some more, meet you back at the hotel between nine and nine thirty._

 _XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

When she arrived to the address given, she was confused. It was a small little building, so it seemed, called Wandering Oaken's Trading Post. How odd it was for a show featuring pyrodynamics to be held in such a place.

Either way, when she entered, she was greeted by a man sitting behind a desk, with a wide, barrel chest, with ginger hair and the same colored facial hair to match.

"Hoohoo! Vat are you looking for today, darling? Vould you like some merchandise from the festival? Ve have snowglobes, ja, and sveaters, and posters - " the burly man was cut short by Elsa's nervous chuckle.

"I'm so sorry to interrupt, sir, but I actually am here for… Uhm," she looked down out the card. "Ms. Branansikt?" The man's face lit up.

"Oh, ja, you are here for our little dearest Anna. First, sign this," he replied, pulling out a full piece of paper. She looked down at it, reading the paper within seconds of getting it. A skeptical look in her eye, she turned to the man she assumed to be Oaken.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Oaken, but why am I signing a safety contract? And… why does it say if I get to close I could die? That's quite concerning," she told. He chuckled.

"Just safety precautions, dear." Her curiosity was burning. So… well, sure. Why not. She signed the contract, not quite caring if something could try and harm her. Her reflexes were too quick, she would be able to catch them in time.

"That vould be two hundred ninety five krones, please," he asked politely. She handed in the cash and then it occurred to her.

"Mr. Oaken, where exactly _is_ Ms. Brananasikt supposed to perform in such a small vicinity?" she asked, perplexed by the situation at hand. She had looked all over; up, down, left, right, but since she got there, she found no possible for such a show to be held.

"Right in the the back, dear. I assure you, ve have a very nice place for this show to be held," he explained, a smile on his face. He stood, and her head was almost all the way back by the time he finished rising.

 _He is one mountain of a man._

"Kristoff," Oaken called. A tall, sandy haired young man came out, a Bernese Mountain Dog by his side.

"What do you want, Oaken," he replied, seemingly tired and not wanting to deal with anyone's shit.

"This young lady is here for our dear Anna," he said. The man named Kristoff's eyebrows raised, seemingly in disbelief.

"Wait, really? Even more people? Cool! Okay," he responded, perking up up, "Come with me, then. What's your name?" They began walking toward the back, down a long hallway.

"Elsa Isånd," she said. He nodded. There was momentary silence.

"Have you ever seen a magic show before?" Kristoff asked, after a beat. She shook her head no.

Kristoff chuckled internally, because this really was a magic show - this was Anna's raw talent, something she had been honing in on for ages with her various mentors. These shows she did, she did them for money, but moreso for fun. Impressing people with her skills - which they donned as simple magic as a cover up, since they did not know who was out there - was something he knew Anna enjoyed. She had expressed to him, one night whilst they were practicing, that the way she made people's faces light up - figuratively, of course- gave her immense joy. The thought made him smile; his best friend really was a great person.

But, there was this woman in his view now. He studied her out of the corner of his eye. She was stunning - in an untouchable kind of way. She was not his type, no, not at all. But that didn't change her beauty. Her body was donned in a light blue coat with white jeans and navy shoes; Vans, maybe? Her platinum blonde hair was in a loose braid over her shoulder, and her skin was flawless, her eyes accented by mascara and dark purple eye shadow.

 _Anna is going to love this one._

They walked into a surprisingly large room, mostly black, where many other people sat in chairs.

"Sit here, please," directed Kristoff. She sat down in the front, surprised there were even chairs left open there, as Kristoff walked off and disappeared into a side room. Her gaze roamed around the room, looking for the mysterious magician who had yet to appear.

Meanwhile, in the other room, a red headed magician was preparing herself for the show she was about to do. She fixed her red bowtie one more time, straightened out her same colored suspenders, and tucked in her white blouse to her black jeans. She studied herself in the mirror.

 _Hair up, down, or braids? Well, c'mon Anna, your hair is wild down, and you don't have the time nor resources to put it up. Braids it is._ Her fingers went deftly to her hair, putting it into neat twin braids over her shoulders.

"I can do this, I was born ready," she pepped to herself, refusing to let her nerves get the best of her. The door opened suddenly, and she felt like she jumped nine feet into the air. She heard a chuckle behind her and turned, knowing immediately who the culprit was.

"Kristoff, you stinker! You should have known to knock," she chastised, huffing. He smiled and Sven ran over to her.

"You got about three minutes and a big audience. Probably about a hundred people, and a cutie in the front row," he told her, winking. Her eyebrow rose up, and she rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, Kris. Get out," she commanded playfully. He laughed and left the room. She looked in the mirror one more time, making sure everything was perfect with her appearance. Once she heard Kristoff begin his hyping, she put on her black fedora.

"And now… Anna Branansikt," he announced.

 _Show time._

 _XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Anna Branansikt was everything Elsa wasn't expecting. One, she was damned _hot_ , and not just in the literal sense. With the outfit she was wearing, her blazing hair, and the confidence upon which she carried herself, Elsa found herself entranced, observing every detail that lie in her figure. Two, she was _very_ believable with her magic. The moment she walked out, she had a ball of lightning in one hand and on the other, her fingertips were lit on the ends with fire.

"Hello, folks," she said, a wonderful smile stretching across her face, "How are you all doing tonight, in this fine evening in Geilo?" She received cheers from the audience, and grinned even wider.

"I have quite a few tricks to show you all tonight, so prepare yourselves, and get ready for a wild latter half of your evening!" Her eyes scanned the crowd; this bunch was going to be particularly responsive, always a great thing to have. And then, her eyes found the woman Kristoff was speaking of.

She was _gorgeous_ , and Anna felt her heart stutter in her chest upon making eye contact with the woman. Her light bangs were pushed back off her face, making her hair appear full and thick. Her cerulean eyes paired amazingly with her skin, a pale, pale complexion, and her lips were full and wonderfully red. And when she smiled, Vita. Anna had to swallow before continuing the show.

"Well, let's begin!"

The show was amazing. The way Anna moved, how she seemed to be one with the flame she was using, all of it was incredible. Elsa couldn't have taken her eyes off of her if she tried. Anna seemed genuinely happy and in her element while doing this, and was a great performer.

"Alright, everyone, one final trick," she said. She took a big breath, put her hand up to her mouth, and blew out fire. It created the shape of a dragon, earning amazed 'oohs' from the crowd. They clapped, earning a smile from the magician.

"Okay, everyone. Thank you for coming! Did you all enjoy the show?" she asked them. They all clapped and cheered loudly. She grinned loudly and said her thanks once more. As she walked out into the dressing room, they all stood and cheered behind her. She shut the door, completely spent from the night, yet feeling extremely rewarded. The show was an absolute hit, the crowd was incredibly, and she and the woman made eye contact multiple times, her heart not failing to skip a beat every time it happened.

 _That woman…_

Elsa waited until everyone left the room and walked across it to the dressing room door. She had about eight hundred Krones left in her pocket, and she felt the magician deserved that money, with how great she performed. She knocked softly on the door.

"Just come on in Kris," came a wonderful voice from inside.

"It's not Kristoff, Ms. Branansikt," Elsa replied. A beat, and then,

"Oh. Well, you can come in either way." Elsa opened the door and cerulean eyes meet teal immediately upon arrival. There was a tension, an odd pull that occurred when their gazes locked with one another. Elsa swallowed and broke eye contact first, feeling slight anxiety creep up her back.

"I-I just wanted to t-tell you, your show was fantastic. Your magic was so b-believable; I found myself trying to figure out a-all the tricks you were doing," she stuttered out quickly, "A-and I want you to have this." Elsa handed Anna the Krones, and Anna's eyes got wide as moons.

"R-really? Eight hundred Krones…?" she asked the woman, making sure she wanted to give her such a sum or money. If she did, she would be able to afford the new scimitar she had been saving up for for years now. She gave her an adorable, timid smile in return, accompanied by a nod.

"Yes," came her firm reply. In an act of spontaneous gratitude, she threw her arms around the woman and hugged her tight, spinning her up and around before putting her down.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou," she exclaimed. Elsa squeaked slightly, surprised to find herself so quickly in the other woman's embrace.

 _By Vita, she's mighty strong as well._ The thought caused her to blush slightly as her feet landed back onto the ground.

Anna set her down, realizing now how unprofessional and stupid that was of her. She internally facepalmed and externally blushed. She averted her eyes from the woman, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Heh heh… Forgive me for that," she said. The woman chuckled.

"No worries. My name is Elsa, by the way," the woman told her.

 _Elsa._ She loved the way it sounded, and accidentally said it out loud.

Elsa shuddered, very slightly. The way her name rolled off Anna's tongue appealed amazingly to her ears, and she found herself wanting to hear it come from her lips again.

"Well, it was nice to meet you, Elsa," she told her, "Will you be in Geilo for long?" She wanted to see Elsa again - no, she _needed_ to see her again.

"Till the end of the festival," Elsa replied. She smiled.

"Good night." Elsa slowly left the room, not at all wanting to leave Anna's presence. The door shut quietly behind her. Both Anna and Elsa stared at the door after it had closed, wanting it to open again, but neither having the courage.

 _My, what a girl._

 **A/N:** What a long chapter, am I right? Took me the entire week to write it, but I'm happy with how it turned out. What did you all think of their first meeting? Any critiques are appreciated (critiques, not hate)! Also, translations.

Kjære- dear.

"Sjekk kompis, min venn." - Checkmate, my friend.

"Jeg innrømmer nederlag. Du vinner." - I admit defeat. You win.

On another note, I should tell you that one Norwegian Krone equals about twelve American cents. Therefore, 10,000 Krones is roughly 1,200 USD, 295 Krones is about 35 USD, and 800 Krones is about 92 USD.

That's about it for this week, guys.

Goed, sien julle ouens volgende sewe dae! ~ Burns


	4. Dates and Premonitions

**Disclaimer/claimer: Disney owns Frozen and all its characters. I do not own any Disney characters associated with this story. However, all characters not associated with Disney in this story are of my, BurnsX3, creation, and are therefore mine. All ideas associated with the Order of the Elements, the basis of this story, are of my creation, and are therefore mine. Anyone using these ideas exclusively without my permission and/or claiming the Elemental idea for their own and/or not crediting me for my original story idea will be reported to the staff of fanfiction . net, fictionpress . com, or any website that the uncredited story is on, and the story will be shut down. With that said, enjoy this chapter!**

"God, Kristoff, she was so beautiful and she gave me eight hundred Krones for my performance; do you know what that means?! I can buy the scimitar! Oh, right, so she came to my room after the performance and tipped me and was absolutely adorable, and she does this lip bite-y thing. It's like, hot and adorable? I don't really know. But I accidentally swept her up in a hug-"

"You _what_?"

"I said I accidentally swept her up in a hug, pay attention. Anyway, she began to-"

"Anna, you had literally been talking to this woman for… what, _five minutes_? And you already had hugged her? C'mon, Anna, show a little more self-restraint," Kristoff teased. Anna huffed and looked away from him, a light blush beginning to dust across her cheeks.

"And anyway, how was that 'accidental'?" he asked, holding up air quotes upon saying 'accidental'. Sven wagged his tail and hopped up on beside him. Kristoff rubbed along his belly.

"Listen, I was really happy, and I kind of just reacted on instinct, okay? Leave me alone, you big stinker," she said, looking anywhere but his eyes. He chuckled and stretched out on the bed.

"Whatever, feisty-pants," he replied, petting behind Sven's ears

"Her name was Elsa," Anna said quietly, "Elsa." Kristoff looked up at her, glancing over her features. She had a small smile stretching across her face, her eyes appearing in recollection of last night.

"When will Iakob be back, A?" Kristoff asked. She snapped out of whatever small trance she was in and her eyes focused in on him.

"Uh, two or three? I'm not really sure Kris. We have a few hours to ourselves, if that's what you're asking," she replied. He nodded.

"How about I get a shower and we get lunch? Sofia's was really good last time we were here, so maybe we could go-"

"Wait."

"What?"

"Did you say you would get a _shower_?" she inquired, incredulous. He rolled his eyes and chucked a pillow at her head.

"Shut up and get yourself ready, doofus."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Elsa, I think I want you as my advisor." Elsa sat bolt upright at the sound of Tonna's statement, looking at her incredulously.

"You… _what_?" Elsa asked back. No, this couldn't be. She had barely been inducted in, and Tonna already wanted her as her _advisor_? What in the name of Vita was she thinking?

No, Elsa admired Tonna. She viewed her as her maternal figure, held great respect for her, even loved her. But this, she knew, would cause huge talk amongst the other Lords and Ladies of the Elementals. Most of the Heads wanted experienced people of of their house or branch as their advisor. Could she be the Dame? She knew the fact that her mentor had no advisor in the time she had known her already had caused some controversy amongst the Lords and Ladies, most pressuring her to select from those under her command. Tonna had so many other people amongst the branch she could choose from: Aksel Lund, Victor Stanson, Lia Nepsel, just for starters. All powerful warriors, all mentors of several. And yet, Tonna had her interests in her.

"Why?" The older woman observed her. Yes, Elsa was the perfect fit for this task at hand. She had been careful, for the past fifteen years, because of him; because of what happened before. She had been guarded; she had been afraid. But Elsa, the star pupil, the close friend, the matured woman, the refined warrior, the swift thinker; Elsa was the person for the job.

Suddenly, a loud growl sounded throughout the room. Elsa looked up and away, rubbing the back of her neck, cheeks attaining a light hue of pink.

"How about I tell you over lunch, little fox?" Tonna suggested. Elsa nodded and grabbed her coat.

"Sounds like a plan."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kristoff and Anna walked into Sofia's, the smell of fresh food and wafting up into their noses. Both inhaled deeply, stomachs grumbling, and quickly scanning the restaurant for a booth to take.

"Shit, Kris, you're lucky we got here when we did. It looks like most of the people have cleared out," she said to him as they slid into a wooden booth. Kristoff nodded.

"Yeah, totally," he replied. The sound of the door opening came from behind them.

"Kris…" she started, biting the inside of her cheek, "I-I think I'm going to move on from Iakob soon. I have down the ways of the Calor Facit, I've beaten Iakob in combat, and… I think it's time I talk to Lady Sydalnnar, too, and maybe even Lady Ratulemen." Kristoff looked extremely taken aback.

"But… Iakob's-" he began, to be abruptly cut off by Anna. She waved her hand and nodded.

"I know, Kris. I'm aware. That's why I need to talk to Lady Ratulemen." His eyes widened in realization.

"Oh. So, you really are going down that route, Anna?" he inquired, a seriousness not usually expressed by him creeping into his tone. He knew full and well that if she went through with this, he would be separated from her until she would be able to visit him at her discretion. The magic shows they both loved doing together would stop until her full return, unless she decided to do some without him. The thought made his heart ache. They had been best friends since he could remember, his family helping raise her after her parent's incident. To be separated from her would be like losing a part of himself.

She nodded.

"Yeah, Kris. I am." Her stomach growled once more.

"Alright, we should go get lunch. I'll order," she said. He nodded, seemingly in deep thought. She sighed and got up. She wasn't sure how he'd receive the news, of her leaving Iakob and inadvertently him. But this was the path she was meant to go down, and she knew it. She would make her parents proud, may Horatius bless their souls.

"What would you like to order today, Miss?" the lady behind the counter asked, startling Anna from her thoughts. She didn't realize that her feet had carried her up to the counter.

 _Damn, I must've looked like a freaking fool, just standing here._

"Hm… I'll have an order of gingered carrots and kale ribbons and an order of chocolate chip pancakes, please! Oh, also, for the drinks, a cup of ice water and a cup of hot chocolate, please. Thank you," she said to the woman. As the lady was taking back her order, another woman with dirty blonde hair came up next to her, a few grey hairs in her long pony standing out.

"Visnar." The lady behind the counter looked up, and a huge smile erupted across her face.

"Tonna, my friend, how are you?" she asked, clearly pleased to see this older woman. They sparked a conversation, and Anna stepped back, wanting to give them some privacy. Her eyes scanned the restaurant, seeing who else might be in the small place, and then -

Her heart skipped a beat, just for a moment.

 _She's here._

 _Elsa._

Looking as beautiful as the first time she saw her, but this time wearing a cobalt blue hoodie with black pants, thick hair in a braid over her shoulder, bangs pushed back again, looking down whilst reading a book.

 _I need to talk to her._

Elsa felt a presence enter the booth she was sitting in, and thought it was Tonna.

"That was a bit of a short conversation with Visnar, if you ask me," she said, a small smile playing at her lips. She knew that Visnar was on of her mentor's best friends, and there was no way she was back so soon, unless Visnar was not here today.

"It would be, if I had a conversation with her," the voice across from her said, a playful lilt to it. Her heart froze, for a second. She knew that voice, the warmness in the tone, she knew who it was.

 _No. No way it could be…_

Her eyes slowly lifted from her book to land on a freckle splashed face, bright red hair and stunning turquoise eyes. The grin presented to her made her face heat up, and she closed her book.

"Oh. H-hello," Elsa said. _Are you kidding me, 'hello'? That's the best thing you could manage?_ She internally groaned.

"Hi," Anna replied, a small wave accompanying the statement. Elsa felt her heart flutter; that was absolutely adorable.

"How are you doing?" Elsa asked, at a bit of a loss for words from the unexpected greeting. Anna giggled.

"Pretty much the same as last night, yourself?" she responded, not missing a beat.

"I've been doing quite well, thank you," she replied. For a moment, they just looked at each other; Anna was wearing a green sweater that went well with her skin tone, and Elsa noticed she had a faint scar along the length of her neck, that seemed to spread down under her shirt. She blushed for a moment, thinking about that statement.

 _You are SUCH a perv, Elsa._

She knew Anna was observing her, scrutinizing her; trying to find something out. Finally, Anna broke eye contact and looked up to the left. Her body language changed; her hands came clasped together, her right thumb running along her left.

 _She's nervous… And left handed, just like me._

"I-I'm not going to lie, Elsa, I've been thinking about last night a lot, and I wanted a way to repay you," she began. Elsa opened her mouth to say something, but Anna put her hand up, indicating she wasn't done.

"I know that you wanted to give me that money, and I wholeheartedly appreciate it. But you've enabled me to finally be able to buy something I've wanted for years at this point, and I can't just let that go. Plus, the fact that you think I'm that good flatters me extensively. So, as a treat back, I'd like to take you to the final night of the Ice Music Festival," she said. Elsa was extremely taken aback; she had already planned on going, but it was the most expensive night to get in, by far. So the fact that Anna would be willing to take her, free of charge…

"Are you asking me out on a date?" she asked, before even fully processing the statement that came out of her mouth. Both ladies blushed, before the redhead responded.

"Yes, I suppose I am," Anna said with a smile. Elsa returned the grin and nodded.

"I'd be more than happy to go, then."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Elsa, I apologize for getting so wrapped up in my conversation with Visnar. We didn't get the chance to talk about you being my advisor," said Tonna as they were walking back to the hotel. She knew something was up with Elsa, she had been glowing since she had gotten back to the table. She would get it out of her, whether it be a direct question or not.

"It's fine, Tonna, we can talk about it some other time," she replied. She couldn't stop smiling; Anna had been occupying her thoughts since she left after their short conversation and cell number exchange. She was excited, incredibly so; Anna, the beautiful magician, was interested in her. The thought had sent her spirit soaring; she loved it.

"Elsa, who in the name of Chara asked you out?" Tonna asked her. Elsa stopped dead in her tracks. Was she really that transparent?

"I've not the slightest idea of what you're talking about, Tonna," she replied, looking anywhere but her mentor's eyes. Tonna looked at her, eyebrow cocked, hand on her hip.

"You're kidding me, right? There's no way in Foveam Animae that something didn't happen. So spill it, Elsa, who's the lucky girl?" She asked. Elsa crumbled and told her everything about last night: the show, the tip, the hug, the tension. Then she recalled everything from today: the conversation, how Anna gave her her hot cocoa after they were done talking, and most of all, how she got asked out to their last night in Geilo.

 _Perfect, then; I'll be able to talk to Lady Kovalski that night without raising any suspicions from Elsa._

"That's awesome, Elsa," she replied to the blonde's rant. Elsa smiled sheepishly.

"Thanks, Tonna," Elsa said back, rubbing the back of her neck. Her thoughts, once again, drifted back to a certain redhead.

 _I can't wait._

 _XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Gita Ratulemen sat in her chambers, praying to the Gods and Goddesses of the Elementals. This was one of the only times of her typical day that she got a moment of peace; a moment to herself.

"Lady Ratulemen," came a deep voice from behind her. She stood slowly and sighed, turning to see one of the Temple Servants, Vishal. He was of the natives of Fiji, the country capital of the Elementals, and of the Iaculari Pulverem. He was kneeling on one knee, head bowed, awaiting her permission to speak.

"Yes, Vishal. Rise and speak your news," she told him. She knew that he knew not to disrupt her during her daily hour of prayer, as it was not only important to her, but also so that she could connect to the Gods and Goddesses.

"The Lady Aer Magus, Amira Jabari, has died," he told her. She frowned deeply at the prospect of losing such an experienced member as Amira. She knew that she was elderly, eighty four years of age, but her loss would still be mourned.

"My Lady, if I may give you other news on the Lady Jabari's death," Vishal asked. Gita nodded, granting him permission to continue speaking.

"The Lady Jabari had a neat mark of an X over her heart, which went straight through to the other side. According to Sir Dakarai Jabari, it was burned through all the way, leading the Order to believe the Lady was killed by someone of the Ignis Magum. This is just a possibility; she could have been attacked by someone with a brander. However, this is a highly unlikely theory, as the Lady was protected by guards that night, who were murdered as well. It would take a large squad of non-Elementals to take down both the Lady and her guards," he told her. Her mind was racing; for one of Ignis Magum to kill Amira, they'd have to either be insane or conspiring. She would have to talk to Yusraa and Dakarai, for certain.

"Thank you, Vishal. You are dismissed," she said. He bowed and left.

 _Could this be the start of a new War of the Elements…?_

She turned to the Altar and knelt, resuming her prayer session.

 _If so, may Vita be on our side._

 **A/N:** Okay, so to lessen the confusion, I'll give you some basic Elemental mythology: Vita (supreme goddess), Otho (god of fire), Chara (god of water), Plinius (god of air), Floriana (goddess of earth), and Horatius (god of the dead) are the gods and goddesses in Elemental mythology. These are the Gods and Goddesses of all the Elementals; all members of the Elementals pray to and worship them.

The official language of the Order (the official name of the Elementals is the Order of the Elements) is Latin, as after the second Great War of the Elements (31 BCE - 2 CE) the Order moved under the Roman Empire. Everything became much more organized and all in the Order had to learn Latin. So, anytime you see two people in the Elementals not of the same nationality speaking to each other, that is the language they will be speaking.

I also want to mention that I will not just be focusing on the Elsanna aspect of this story. I want to develop other characters, share other parts of this story with you guys as well. I obviously want to have Elsa and Anna's relationship be the center of the story; however, I have so many more ideas, and I can't just put that to the side. I think you all will really enjoy the other parts of the story, and it will make the story much more interesting as whole.

Finally, I want to tell you guys how grateful I am. To see that you guys like my story (10 favorites!) and want to see where it goes (22 follows!) gives me huge motivation to continue writing. I really appreciate all of you, and you make me feel great about my writing skills. Thank you all so, so much.

Mirë, shikoni ju djema javën e ardhshme! ~ Burns


	5. Leaving?

**Disclaimer/claimer: Disney owns Frozen and all its characters. I do not own any Disney characters associated with this story. However, all characters not associated with Disney in this story are of my, BurnsX3, creation, and are therefore mine. All ideas associated with the Order of the Elements, the basis of this story, are of my creation, and are therefore mine. Anyone using these ideas exclusively without my permission and/or claiming the Elemental idea for their own and/or not crediting me for my original story idea will be reported to the staff of fanfiction . net, fictionpress . com, or any website that the uncredited story is on, and the story will be shut down. With that said, enjoy this chapter!**

The setting was informally formal; the five star hotel they were meeting in, designed for conducting business, equipped with conference rooms, also had a cafe. That is where they decided to have their meeting; there was no need for excessive rigidity. Both were relaxed, a cup of tea in the hand of the Swede, a cup of black coffee in the hand of the Russian. There was some polite small talk, to start things off. And then, the question came up.

"So, my friend, tell me," Lady Doroteya Kovalski asked, her strong Russian accent evident in her Latin, "What is so important that you have us here today?" Tonna noticed that the Lady Aqua Dulci Regem had dropped formalities. She leaned back in her seat, easing up.

"I have a new inductee," she told Doroteya. The Russian's face lit up, a smile stretching across her wrinkled visage.

"That is fantastic dear. Do you need the paperwork?" she asked Tonna. She nodded.

"There is something else, too, Doroteya. This inductee, she's not down in the records of the Order." The elderly lady's brow furrowed. Tonna took a deep breath, and then:

"She is the daughter of Agðar Isånd, Elsa." She internally winced when she saw way that Doroteya's arms stilled, how her eyes focused directly on them, how her eyes changed, and how her back stiffened.

"You mean, the son of Øyndr Isånd…? That child, whom we have not heard from for over twenty one years, who broke his Oath? That child, who managed to -"

"Yes. She is nothing like him, Doroteya. She is passionate, driven, and truly loyal to the Line. And… I would like to make her my Dame," Tonna said. She awaited a heated response, of fervent rejection, only to be met in silence.

Doroteya observed the younger Lady. Her old self was beginning to age, but she was still evidently youthful. She knew how passionate Tonna was, and that she was a great judge of character. But, this Elsa that she spoke of, how devoted she seemed to be, it made her question how bad a person Agðar truly was. He had done such an awful thing, but produced such a child?

The matter to be pressed, though, was how in the name of Horatius this was going to work. Since Agðar was, essentially, excommunicated for good from the Order after the incident with his father, all his offspring were by extension excommunicated as well. Unless Lord de l'Eau and Lady Ratulemen were to accept her in, get her records and such, there was no way in Nebula Regnum that Elsa would become Tonna's Dame. Especially with her inexperience in the world of the Order…

"Doroteya, my friend, I understand if you do not want this to happen. Agðar did a terrible thing, and if you would not like her to come to such a position because of the _astronomically_ small possibility she could be tainted by her father's past actions - which, might I add, happened _before she was even one year of age_ \- then so be it," Tonna said. She took a sip of her tea, sweet and calming, while discreetly scrutinizing the Lady Kovalski. She knew how experienced Doroteya was in the world, and that if she did not get the papers she needed from her, Elsa would never be able to fully be of the Aqua Magus. The thought sent a pang to her heart; her little fox had worked so hard to get to the point she was at now, and for all that to crumble in this decision would make both her pupil and herself crushed.

She was indefinitely nervous, though her calm facade would never expose such a feeling.

Doroteya took a sip of her coffee, her eyes shifting over to the window momentarily. She knew this was risky. She knew that the entire Line knew about what had happened. But how could she defy someone who had given their life to training for the Order? What a cruel thing to do.

"Fine, Tonna," Doroteya began, noticing how the Lady's eyes widened, "I'll give you the papers. But that's the extent of what I can do; you'll have to go Lord de L'Eau and Lady Ratulemen if you want her to be in officially." Tonna sighed, both out of relief and disappointment.

"Thank you, my Lady. Your help has pushed us toward greatness, I can feel it."

She felt her pocket vibrate, and picked it up.

"Hello, Tonna Ek?... What?... Amira Jabari… Very well. I will take my leave at once."

 **Two and a Half Hours Earlier**

The hot shower water fell over ivory shoulders, gliding down a strong back and shapely derrière, and finally running along smooth, toned legs. Soft hands pressed against the surface of the white hotel tile, the coolness of the porcelain contrasting deliciously with the heat of the water and steam. A sigh filled the bathroom, of contentment and anxiety.

 _I think I need to take some medication._

Elsa treasured her moments in the shower: they gave her time to think, but also time to have no thoughts at all. She was done all her washing, and was now just standing there, allowing the water to relax her to the best of its ability. The only thing currently occupying her thoughts was a certain redhead. The thought of Anna made her simultaneously smile and have immense butterflies in her stomach. She had never been on a date prior to this; being secluded to Svalbard had its definite downfalls, and having minimal contact with people other than Tonna and her other pupils was for sure one of them. She loved Tonna, but had a desire to talk to someone other than her mentor once in awhile.

She turned off the shower and began to get ready. Anna had told her that this was a casual date, but she had to at least somewhat dress to impress. She rummaged through her drawers and pulled out a crisp white button down blouse with cobalt jeans, and her black knee high boots to top it off. She put on her signature purple eyeshadow, some mascara, and a dash of eyeliner. Light red lipstick came next, and a hint of blush at her cheeks to accentuate her bone structure. She stepped back and looked at herself.

 _Shoot, my hair!_ She took a brush to the thick platinum blonde tresses and debated putting her hair up in a bun.

 _Oh, why not._ She put her hair in a French braid, leading to an intricate bun upon which a blue ribbon was incorporated. She straightened out her bangs and looked at herself once more in the mirror, now fully satisfied with her appearance. A small smile met her lips.

And then, her phone went off.

 _Out front, can't wait to see you :)_

Anna sent the text, her heart pounding. She decided to let her copper hair down earlier, after making sure she had tamed it enough to be presented to her gorgeous date. Her _date_. The thought sent warmth running through her body, and for some reason she couldn't explain, the idea of spending an evening with Elsa made her entirely too happy. She couldn't push down the sigh pressing at her throat, so she decided to let it go. Her back hit the driver's seat and she ran a hand through her hair, her nerves making her hands shake. She realized that the car was beginning to get heated and while she normally wouldn't mind such heat, she knew that Elsa probably would. She rolled down the window and then -

 _By the Gods, she looks beautiful_.

Elsa came out front, a small purse in hand, looking so damned **good** it drove Anna crazy. She made sure that Elsa didn't notice, but her eyes raked over the blonde's curved form, all the right parts accentuated, leaving her heart to beat mercilessly against her ribcage. She felt her cheeks light up, and forced herself to calm down before Elsa entered the car.

 _Holy Cael, she looks downright gorgeous._

The butterflies in Elsa's stomach increased ninefold once she saw Anna. She was wearing a green and white flannel top with a black t-shirt underneath, accompanied by a pair of denim skinny jeans. And her hair… Down, the flaming red mane was thick and rich, looking incredibly soft. Elsa's fingers twitched with the want of running her hands through that hair. And the nervous smile that she was given upon entering made her heart soar, as well as relieved her; she wasn't the only one nervous.

"Hi," Elsa said, strapping on her seatbelt. Anna jumped slightly, being pulled out of her trance.

"Hi-hi me?" she asked. _Anna, are you fucking kidding? Obviously hi you. There's nobody else en car._ She groaned internally. However, Elsa's small giggle and head nod made her heart flutter, and she continued forward.

"Oh, uhm… hi?"

 _I really should tell Kristoff to dig me a grave. I'm dying._

There was a beat, and then,

"You look beautiful," Elsa's quiet voice came. There was a pretty blush coating her cheeks, and Anna herself felt heat lick her face. She gave a slight laugh.

"Thank you; you look beautifuller! I mean, not fuller, you don't look fuller, but more, more beautiful-" Anna was cut off by Elsa's wonderful chuckle.

"Thank you." For a moment, they just looked at each other, taking in the sight of the other. Elsa really realized how gorgeous Anna's eyes were, how her small button nose made her somehow even more adorable than she already was, how her smile was tentative but sure.

"We should get going," Anna said. Elsa nodded.

The car ride to the Festival was filled with laughter, questions to get to know each other, and some background radio music. When momentary silences filled the car, save for the radio, glances were thrown out of the corner of their eyes to take in more of the other.

 _I really want to know the story behind that scar._

They arrived, and it was glorious. Jam packed to the max, music floating everywhere, it was Elsa's paradise.

And my, how Anna treasured the way Elsa's face lit up upon entering, a childlike glint crossing her eyes, running around to every exhibit to try and find more cool instruments. She would run over to the guitar, the harp, the ice organ, the flute; there was such a boundless array of music, and it sent both their moods soaring. Finally, they worked their way over to the man with the cello.

Elsa didn't fail to notice how Anna's eyes lit up when she saw the cello. The instrument bore some semblance of importance in her life.

The man behind the cello, a handsome man with a chiseled jaw and smooth brown hair, was playing a duet with a woman with long, golden blonde hair, a bluebird on her shoulder, singing to the tune

"I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream  
I know you, the gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam  
Yet I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem  
But if I know you, I know what you'll do  
You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream," she sang. Her lovely voice filled the air, and the man behind the cello smiled wide.  
"But if I know you, I know what you'll do  
You'll love me at once  
The way you did once upon a dream." The cello harmonized with her voice during the part, creating a beautiful effect.  
"I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream  
I know you, the gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam  
And I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem  
But if I know you, I know what you'll do." The man took a deep breath.  
"You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream," he sang. The song ended, and both Anna and Elsa clapped, incredibly impressed with the display.

"That was wonderful," Anna exclaimed. The man placed the cello gently against his chair and smiled, wrapping his arm around the beautiful blonde woman who sang.

"Thank you," he replied, "My name is Phillip. This is my wife, Aurora, the most beautiful lady in all the world." The lady named Aurora chuckled, leaning up to kiss Phillip's cheek. He smiled broadly.

 _She's beautiful, alright, but I don't know if she's more beautiful than her…_

Elsa stole a glance at Anna again, who walked toward the couple.

"Excuse me, Phillip, but could I have the honor of playing this instrument? It's so well crafted, and I myself play. It would be magical to play on it," she asked him. He nodded.

"Of course! Play as much as you like," he replied. He and Aurora walked off to view the saxophone quartet.

Anna sat down at the cello and played a few notes to get used to the feeling. It was an odd sensation, but not wholly unwelcome; it cooled her blazing touch.

"Hm. How interesting," she mumbled to herself.

"Hey, since you play, could you play some chord progressions for me?" Elsa asked. Anna was taken aback, but obliged all the same.

"Alright; key of C: I, V, IV, I, V…" Elsa told her the simple chord progression for the song. Anna began to play the root and the third of each chord, creating a lovely harmony. And then, her heart almost came to a complete stop -

Elsa started singing. And by the Gods of Earth, her voice was damned _wonderful._

"Please remember me, happily  
By the rosebush laughing  
With bruises on my chin, the time when  
We counted every black car passing… " she sang. Anna's body filled with warmth, watching her beautiful date sing, eyes closed in concentration, smile coming across her face every so often. Her voice was smooth as honey, a mezzo-soprano, and every time her voice went to a high note, Anna's heart fluttered.

The song ended, and Elsa's eyes opened. Anna looked at her in a starstruck manner,

causing the blonde to blush prettily. She smiled timidly.

"Was that-was that good?" She asked. Anna nodded fervently, grinning wide. Elsa felt relieved; she hadn't sung for someone in so long, it felt good to finally get it out. Iron and Wine were amongst her favorite artists, and the Trapeze Singer seemed to be a good option to sing on the fine night.

The rest of the evening was spent walking around and admiring the small shows being

put on by the various artists, enjoying each other's company, and most of all, devouring chocolate. Anna had learned that Elsa's favorite delicacy, to her dismay, was dark chocolate. Milk chocolate had always been her favorite: the sweet taste, the melting of the amazing texture on her tongue, everything about it made her crave it 24/7.

"It's so bitter," she exclaimed to Elsa, still trying to understand how she could like such a candy could be pleasing to the taste buds. Elsa laughed, and countered.

"But milk chocolate is so sweet!" Both ladies laughed.

 _I'm beginning to really love that smile._

Soon enough, though, they were riding back in the car, the conversation light and happy,

recapping their favorite parts of the night. However, the undercurrent of distress at being separated in a few minutes was not missed by either of the women. The conversation eventually tapered by the time they got back to Elsa's hotel.

Anna pulled into the parking lot and insisted on opening the car door for Elsa. The blonde blushed lightly, smiling, and allowed the redhead to open the door for her. They walked up to the door in comfortable silence. Elsa's hand twitched with the want, _no, the need,_ to hold Anna's hand, but she restrained herself, not wanting to ruin the moment. Finally, the impending mahogany door stood in front of them.

Anna turned to Elsa, the wonderful woman she had gotten to know over the course of a few hours. She noticed how Elsa stood a few inches taller than her; for some reason, the thought made her blush. The light above the door illuminated Elsa's face, and she saw the near invisible freckles dusting her face. Her heart raced with…

 _Anticipation?_

Elsa felt the same.

"I-I think I should go. I promise, I'll see you again. Thank you for tonight; it was easily one of the best times of my life," Elsa said. Though she hid it well, Elsa was an expert in body language; she noticed the way that Anna's head moved a millimeter downward, how she ran her fingers through her hair momentarily, how her eyes broke away from her own.

 _She's disappointed._

"Okay. Thank you for going on the date with me, Elsa. It was amazing," Anna replied. Elsa could barely stand the forlorn way Anna's face moved.

So she decided to stop it.

She leaned in and kissed Anna's cheek, causing both of their faces to flush a deep red. Anna's face broke out in an a thousand-watt smile, quelling all of Elsa's past worries.

"Bye," Elsa said with a small wave.

"Bye." Elsa entered the hotel, heart pounding, smile never daring to leave her face.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tonna looked up when Elsa entered the hotel room. Her eyes were distant, her lips curled up in a smile, and face flushed. She knew that look.

"So it went well, huh?" She asked, continuing to pack up their bags. Elsa snapped out of her daze, zeroing in on the suitcases she was filling with their traveling items.

"Incredibly," she replied. A beat, and then, "What are you doing? We aren't supposed to be leaving for another two days."

"We need to leave immediately, Elsa," Tonna replied, "It's time for your first meeting of the Order of the Elements."

 **A/N:** Hey guys. I apologize for the late update, but better late than never. By the way, a big milestone has just been hit: we broke 1,000 views on this fic! Seeing that actually made me lightheaded. I never even thought this would get 500 views... Thank you.

حسنا ، انظر يا رفاق الأسبوع المقبل . ~ Burns


	6. Elections and Surprises

**Usual disclaimer. Note at the end. Warning: there is a lot of plot in this chapter. _A lot_. Bear that in mind, and as always, enjoy! :)**

* * *

The flight to the Totoya Island was long. Luckily, they alternated between watching movies, small talking about Anna and the date, and sleeping. Eventually though, Elsa and Tonna needed to go over what would happen and what exactly was going on. Apparently, there were two reasons now that they needed to go to the Headquarters.

"You haven't really talked to anyone else higher than myself. You are to address everyone in a higher position than you, including myself, by Lord or Lady. Anyone you are not close to or familiar with are to be addressed by the Branch or Line they head. For example, Gita Ratulemen is to be referred to as the Lady Ultimum Maleficus, unless granted permission otherwise. You may call me Lady Ek, as I am a mentor to you, but do not refer to me by my first name. Is that made clear?" Tonna explained. The younger looked slightly startled by all this information, but nodded all the same.

"You know how the Line feels about your father," she started. Elsa visibly winced. Tonna sighed, "therefore, please, Elsa. For both our sake's, prove yourself to everyone. They will judge you because of the actions of your father and your grandfather -" she stopped mid sentence, startled by a look in her pupil's eye that she only saw pre-battle:

A frightening determination.

"Well," the blonde began, "They're going to have to let it go. The past is in the past, and as much as I do love my father, I do not intend on following in his footsteps."

"Will you be able to take their hatred though, Elsa?" It had been twenty years since the event, but prejudice doesn't have a time limit. Elsa laughed, shocking Tonna.

"I think you forgot that I can freeze tears before they leave my body," she reminded her, "If I need to be strong, you'll never see me cry." She shook her bottle of anxiety pills.

"The fears that once controlled me — of rejection, of hatred, of myself — can't get to me at all anymore. I've long since lost those. All I care about is officially being inducted, getting my paperwork," she smiled, "and being able to teach other lost ice benders how to have the confidence and strength that you've taught me."

Tonna marveled at the level maturity and wisdom that Elsa had gained over the past ten years. She really had moved on from all her fears; and even better than that, she was ready to disprove everybody now that she had gotten over them. She smiled.

 _She is perfect for this._

"Alright. Next, after we get you registered and put in as my Dame, it will be time for the election of a new Aer Magus, since the Lady Jabari — bless her soul — was recently killed." Elsa didn't know which to process first.

"Election?"

"Yes. It's kind of like a convention, I suppose; we will get a background on all the candidates: their records, their skills, experience, qualifications, etc.. They give a speech. We then question them. Then we vote. Lady Ratulemen has the ultimate say in everything, and if she feels that the Order chooses imprudently then she will veto. Considering that she values the wisdom of the other Magi and Heads, this hardly ever happens. The results come in, and the meeting is adjourned." This baffled Elsa.

"It's not a public ceremony?" she questioned. Tonna shook her head.

"No. Becoming a Head or Magus is a very private event. You stay at the Grand Altar for a night. Of course —" she was interrupted by the pilot.

"Landing in approximately eight minutes." She and Elsa prepared for turbulence.

"As I was saying. Of course there is paperwork involved with everything; the Lady Ultimum Magus herself makes you take the Oath of Faith, Loyalty, and Service. You need witnesses and stuff for that part, and you say who you think the candidates should be if you were to die and the Order needed a new one. This, of course, can change over time. Then after that's done, everyone leaves. The next sequence is the most crucial part of the ceremony. Your God or Goddess will come to you and… I can't really describe it. It's... ethereal," she explained. Elsa's eyes twinkled with wonder.

"That's incredible…" she replied, the awe evident in her tone. Tonna smiled, but it quickly faded.

"However, there is a darker side as to why we are coming here now," she said, a serious edge to her words. Elsa's eyes became attentive and alert now, losing the fascination from seconds ago.

"Lady Jabari was easily one of the most experienced and wise members of the Order. Her advice was sacred to all of us in making decisions. She preferred to approach things by being tactical and strategic, rather than going in and being brash," her frown deepened, and the turbulence began shaking her and Elsa, "and perhaps the most troubling thing is that she always — and I mean, _always_ — knew when trouble was afoot and who was going to cause it. She earned the title of 'the Bloodhound' by many." She could practically see the gears in Elsa's head turning.

"So whoever killed her —" they felt the wheels touch the ground as the pilot's voice cut them off again.

"We have arrived at Suva Airport. We thank you for flying Fiji Airlines; wish you a fantastic visit." The two ladies undid their seatbelts and grabbed their carryons from the compartments above.

"... Killed her before she could suspect anything was happening, and who the suspect would be," Elsa concluded as they walked out of the plane. They began walking toward the baggage claim.

"Precisely; because of this, a ripple of worry has been sent throughout the Order."

Both of them jumped as a young boy lit off firecrackers. His mother scolded him profusely and apologized to everyone in the room, ignoring the smoke rising below as she left; the match was left burning on the floor. Elsa walked over to it and extinguished the flame discreetly with her ice.

"I swear to Christ, children these days have no self-control," she heard a passer-by mumbled under his breath.

 _Maybe so; but she was watching him the whole time, so why the Devil didn't she stop him from the start?_

* * *

Gita sat down at her throne in the Aedis, well ahead of the start of the election. She could feel the disquietude bubbling in her stomach, an angry monster that had made her sleep fretful the night prior. This was not a meeting that anyone was looking forward to.

As she watched the servants arrange the other thrones and seats of each respective Lord and Lady, she felt a warm hand appear on her shoulder.

"Gita, my friend," said a familiar voice, "you need to rest easy. It will not do for the Order to see their leader in such a state of trepidation; even if it is only noticeable externally to myself, it will be felt by everyone else. You need to keep your head about you." She sighed and rested her hand on the copper one on her shoulder. She took a deep breath.

"Thank you, _temanku_ ," Gita replied. Of course Pocahontas was right. She felt her hand withdraw as her advisor took her place on the right hand side of the her. Gita rested her elbows on the Dakua tree table and clasped her hands behind her neck.

"I'm thankful I have you as my advisor, Poca," she told Pocahontas.

"I'm thankful that you chose me. You worry much more than you need to, my friend. Have you any dreams from Vita or Plinius as of late? Anything?" the copper skinned woman replied. Gita shook her head and raised it, a long sigh coming out in the process.

"My sleep has been restive; I have only spoken with Horatius for, at maximum, five minutes. And even in that, he gave me a vague warning: the embers will be billowed. But I've not the slightest idea what he means... ," she explained. Pocahontas looked contemplative for a few moments.

"Time will tell, we should be sure," she said. The bell tower struck nine.

"We should eat breakfast, Gita. You won't be able to have a level head on an empty stomach." Lady Ratulemen's stomach growled loudly, and dual chuckles echoed in the long room.

"Alright."

* * *

 **Two and a Half Hours Later**

* * *

A knock on the massive door of the Temple.

"Enter, Vishal."

"My Lady, the Lady Glaciem Magistri, Tonna Ek, requests an audience with you." A sigh.

"Does it pertain to the election?" A shuffle of feet, a quiet conversation.

"No, my Lady." The Lady Ultimum Maleficus rose from her cross legged position and faced the door.

"Let her enter."

Tonna breathed in deeply and looked at Elsa with a determined smile. Her pupil nodded nervously, wringing her hands.

"Frykt ikke, Elsa. Det ordner seg," she assured her. She entered the Temple and kneeled on one knee before Lady Ratulemen.

"Rise, Lady Ek," she politely ordered. Tonna stood, "What is it that brings you here today?" The Swede smiled, a warm look coming over her features.

"I have a new inductee my Lady. Alongside that wonderful news, I wanted to discuss with you as to whom I would like to be my advisor." She watched the surprise wash over the Lady's face. Her near black eyebrows almost shot up into her hairline.

"Of the Glaciem Magistri?" Gita was genuinely curious. Lady Ek had not had an advisor for more than fifteen years at this point. Tonna nodded in turn.

"It is the new inductee, my Lady," her smile faltered, "but I must ask you not judge this person based on her ancestors." Gita's brows furrowed as she cocked her head. Tonna took a deep breath.

"Elsa Isånd, daughter of Agðar Isånd," she said. The Indonesian's face lost the emotion it contained before. The lack of reaction from her superior threw Ek off balance.

"Oh." Lady Ratulemen scrutinized her. She observed Tonna; she wanted to make sure that there were no qualms or doubts about her.

"And why so?" Tonna heard the Lady ask. A beat, and then:

"I have been guarded, my Lady. I have been careful, after Rörik -," she shook her head, unable to meet the darker woman's gaze any longer, "after _that_ happened." She noticed Gita's face soften out of the corner of her eye, understanding evident in her expression.

"I was not willing to let that happen again. While I know that is the natural order of things, I could not bring myself to even consider another to be my advisor for the first few years. I understand how selfish of me that is, and perhaps in retrospect, even more detrimental to myself than helpful. I had to take on many tasks and make various decisions that would have eased my conscience had I another behind me. In doing this, I had become more independent, more wise — and more cautious than ever before," she explained, "until I met Elsa."

"Her mother, she died years before she could have any remembrance of her. Her father refused to teach her about her heritage until she was…," Lady Ek though for a second, "seven years old, I believe. As she got older she grew stronger. Her powers quite frequently spiraled out of control, from what her father told me. When I met her, she was frightened, nervous, and timid when it came to using her powers — and at age thirteen had been diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder. When we looked into possible treatments, the doctor had suggested her medication; and since, she has learned to control her powers." She looked back to Gita and brown eyes locked with black, an intensity evident there that it threw even the Indonesian off balance.

"I have watched Elsa grow into the bravest warrior I could have imagined. She has such a brilliant grasp on her powers that she can build anywhere from a gigantic palace down to snowflake with the most intricate designs you could ever think of. She has a level head, one that is needed in the role of a Dame. She is not afraid to speak her mind to me, and has disagreed with me on certain decisions while explaining her reasoning. She is both ethical, and logical - ," Tonna was cut off by the Lady.

"Lady Ek," Gita said with a smile, "Elsa may be your advisor, and is more than welcome into the Order — regardless of her ancestry."

Outside, Elsa was already crying with joy.

Tonna laughed loudly and called her pupil — no, her _advisor_ — into the room. Elsa wiped the tears from her eyes as she ran in and hugged Ek, momentarily forgetting that the Lady Ultimum Maleficus was in the room as well.

Gita smiled as she watched the scene unfold. The relief was evident between the pair of them, Elsa sobbing freely now.

"Not afraid, huh?" Tonna chuckled as she wiped the tears from Elsa's cheeks. The younger of the two gave a choked laugh and shook her head, looking down.

"Never scared, Tonna," she croaked, voice shaking, "just so happy that this is happening." Her lip trembled as her former mentor hugged her again.

Vishal came beside Gita quietly, leaning over to murmur in her ear.

"Shall I get the paperwork and blood test ready, my Lady?" he asked. She nodded.

"Please."

* * *

The clock struck twelve, the meeting about to begin. A hush settled over the Aedis as the ground rumbled, the doors closing and each respective Lord and Lady rising to their feet. The gray light of the cloudy afternoon filtered through the windows, hitting the table of the Magi. The absence of the Aer Magus was not unnoticed. The room stilled as the Lady Ultimum Maleficus rose from her seat, eyes scanning over the tables that held each Line. A sense of anticipation came across the huge hall.

" _Nos_ _incipere_." A ripple of movement occurred as every person in the room kneeled at the sound of their leader's orotund voice calling the start of the election. She took notice of a flash of white blonde hair in the middle of the Water Line's table, kneeling behind Lady Ek.

"Rise, and take your seats," she permitted, watching as the Lords and Ladies settled into their spots. She looked around, her fingertips pressed against the table.

"I pray you all have had safe travels. Before we truly get to the heart of this convention, I would like to address a few other things — a few happier things. First of all, a congratulation to Sir Roger Radcliffe on his newest addition to his family, and to the Ignis Magum," she told them. After each bit of happy news, she could see the tension drain little by little from the air.

"And finally, I would like to welcome a member who was not formally inducted until just briefly, and is now the Dame of the Glaciem Magistri," she said, facing Tonna and Elsa, "if you would please rise." Elsa stood, facing the audience before her.

"My friends, this is Elsa Isånd," she explained. A hush settled in the room at this news.

"I'm sure all of you that are old enough remember what occurred between Agðar and Øyndr, her respective father and grandfather." The statement sent a shiver throughout the congregation.

"However," she said, her voice hardening, "should any of you discriminate against her due to her lineage, you _will_ be punished." Her words brokered no argument.

"Lady Ek is a wise and sagacious person; a prudent leader, and one with a clear head on her shoulders," the Lady reminded, "so I trust you will all respect her decision."

There was a nod amongst the Hall.

"Elsa, we thank you for accepting the position. You will now be known as Dame Elsa Isånd, of the Glaciem Magistri," Lady Ratulemen announced. There was an applause: one that started slowly, and then spread like wildfire. It would take much more time to heal the mark her father had left on the Order, but the acceptance of Elsa was the first stitch in closing the wound.

* * *

Anna's heart was pounding, and her head was reeling.

 _Dame Elsa Isånd, of the Glaciem Magistri._

Elsa.

The girl from the date, the one who had promised to see her again, the one whose voice sounded like honey and whose smile could power a city.

She was dumbfounded.

 _She's in the Glaciem Magistri? Not only that, she actually is a Dame?!_

Anna had no prior knowledge of what exactly Elsa was capable of, but one thing was for certain:

 _If she was gifted enough to be_ Lady Ek's advisor, _then she could easily be my mentor for the Ways of the Water Line._

She had but naught to go off of; was Elsa sane? Was she a facade, a mere illusion of velvet but truly made of iron? They had only been on one date, so it was unlikely that she could read her well yet. However, there was a spark, a connection, one that couldn't be ignored.

One that she couldn't ignore.

For a moment, she went back to a day she had been training with Zeus Kataigida, who currently resided a few houses down, at the center of the Fulminis Dominus branch. It was he that introduced Iakob and Anna to each other, but only after Zeus himself taught her how to control electricity. It was a _shocking_ experience. She chuckled at her own pun as a ballot was put in her hand. She voted for Sir Dakari Jabari absentmindedly. He was a good enough man, and one who was kind to those he encountered.

Regardless, she recollected when Zeus had first taught her about lightning. She was sixteen years old, on the cusp of adult hood but still young enough to retain an adolescent-esque energy about her.

 _"Lord Zeus? I created a thunderbolt, look!" She exclaimed, finally happy to have gotten ahold of the bizarre technique that had taken her a whole month to get down. Anna held the intricately designed bolt in her hand, yet grimaced as Zeus approached with his own craft of lightning. His white brows knitted together, and the behemoth of a man knelt down beside her._

 _"Young one, what is wrong? Why do you frown so?" He asked. She glanced apprehensively between her thunderbolt and Zeus's._

 _"My bolt doen't look at all like yours. Yours is a neat zig zag, with one zig and one zag, and mine is ziggy in too many places and zaggy in too little places. What is that all about? I mean, I was so happy before, about having had made it. But now... Mine is not nearly as good as yours," she admitted. She reduced the bolt back into her hand._

 _"Well, I'm going to tell you a secret." Zeus clapped his gargantuan hands together and the thunderbolt disappeared. Anna's ears perked up, and she observed Zeus._

 _"The only reason I can make a perfect thunderbolt is because of Hera. Which is odd, indeed, because she cannot use lightning to her will. However, she has calmed the wild, swirling storm that used to cloud my head, in prior times. My bolt was nine times as crazy as yours when I first made one. I nearly split a tree in half," he chuckled, recollecting._

 _"But Hera, she made me think. She made me control myself. She sent a different kind of spark in me, one that is only felt once in a lifetime. The spark that struck the lightning, and cooled the storm altogether," he explained._

 _"What did it feel like?"_

 _"It felt one hundred times more powerful than lightening, once it struck down, but as soft as a distant rumble of thunder. But if you mean the very first time I felt something... Hm. Do you recall when I made you snap your fingers till you made a spark come from each of your finger tips?"_

 _Anna nodded._

 _"At first, it felt like that. But you see, with the spark I speak of, it is effortless. It doesn't require a million tries. It either happens on the first snap, or not at all."_

"Anna!" Kristoff yelled, shaking her shoulder. She started, forgetting that it was time for lunch.

"Man, sometimes I swear, its like you're in another world or something," he murmured, taking the lead and turning around toward the entrance.

Behind him, Anna was snapping sparks, taking note of how Elsa had made her feel a spark easier than the ones she had practiced for years.

* * *

A few hours later, and the results as to whom the next Aer Magus to be came in. Not unlike the ancient Greeks, the voting system was ballot based.

Gita opened the result paper, expression unreadable.

She had been quietly hoping, quietly _praying_ , that this would be the person chosen.

She stood before the Order, turning to the Line of the Aer Magus.

"My friends, before we reveal the results, I would like to congratulate all candidates: Sir Seo-jun Min, Dame Yuia Paixao, and Sir Dakarai Jabari. However, the ballot can only reveal one Aer Magus," Gita told them. There was a moment of tension, a moment of apprehension.

"Sir Seo-jun Min, rise. You are the new Aer Magus," she announced. There was an uproarious applause as the slender, ocher skinned man stood with a smile. He hugged Lord Takahiro Ametsuchi fiercely, thanking him for the experience he had given him.

It was he she had been praying for. Dame Yuia Paixao was incredibly talented, but did not have a level head on her shoulders; she thought with her heart, not her mind. Sir Dakarai Jabari would have been an excellent choice, had the person killed not been his mother. He was fiercely loyal to the Line of the Aer Magus, and even more so to the late Lady Jabari. He now had a thirst for vengeance, and the kind of power he would get being the Aer Magus would enable him to quench his desire. Sir Seo-jun Min, however — he seemed to have his wits about him. He had never wavered in his faith to the entire Order, not just the Line.

He walked up to the throne before Gita, and kneeled. She made him take the Oath of Faith, the Oath of Loyalty, and the Oath of Service. After he recited the ancient words, the promises, and the acknowledgement of responsibilities he was about to take, she pulled a sword from an ornately designed scabbard, handing it to him.

"Then you shall now be known as Lord Min. Please, take your place among us," she said, gesturing to the seat which was then to be filled by the new Lord's body.

Gita rose, and flicked flame into the torches, illuminating the now dark hall.

"My friends, now… we feast."

* * *

 **A/N:** Hi. It's been a while, friends - so much has happened in the past year, I just... Listen, all that matters is I'm back and I'm _writing_ again. I have some good ideas swirling around for other stories, but I know I need to finish this one out first. I hope you understand that life is difficult, and focusing on a side story in a sea of crazy ass events isn't always a possibility. I thank you for your continued support. Enjoy this chapter, hopefully another will be occurring soon.

Have a fantastic week, month, year - no matter the time expanse, I hope you enjoy the hell out of it. ~BurnsX3 :)


	7. Choices, Choices (part 1)

**Usual claimer/disclaimer. This is going to be a two part update. Next one will be up next week sometime. Schools out, so I have a lot more time to spare! A lot of plot this chapter, a lot of fluff next one. Enjoy!**

* * *

Feasts in the Order were always grandiose; since relocating to Fiji, when Lady Ratulemen had chosen that as their new convening spot, they had roast pig and other local delicacies, as was the Order's custom. Lord Luch lowered the long tables of the Elements into the ground and created numerous smaller tables, so that those who so wished could converse with others in different Lines could do so.

Anna was still in shock from seeing Elsa, clad in her astounding _Laena_. Only when she stepped out into the light did she realize the garb must have been fabricated from ice, with the various torches illuminating the myriad of frozen crystals about the sleeves and buttons of her top. The redhead found it difficult to tear her eyes away from the beautiful sight.

"..na, did you hear me?" A higher male voice said from behind her. Her eyes found Iakob standing there, an unamused expression on his face. She grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. The freckled skin of her cheeks grew warm.

"Uh… no," she admitted, an awkward laugh coming out from her. He sighed; this was typical Anna to him.

"Lady Sydalnnar and Lady Ratulemen want to see you." Anna straightened at the statement, smile leaving her face to be replaced with a look of obvious question. She subconsciously fixed her _Habitu_ , one that belonged to no specific Branch or House of the Ignis Magum.

 _A freefloater, belonging to nobody. A piece of trash that no one wants to own. Someone that has to wear the common garb because she flits from House to House and between Branches because no one will take her._

She grimaced, recalling the harmful words she had once overheard a fellow saying when she had been training with Lord Shadow. She closed her eyes momentarily, knowing in her heart the complete falsity of the statement. When she reopened them, she nodded at Iakob.

"Let's go," she told him. He had already smoothed out his Laena and straightened the gentle ivory sash that ran from his right shoulder to his left hip across his deep indigo vest, the color of the sash standing out against the scarlet of his shirt: the colors of the Calor Agri. Anna envied him; her Habitu was a simple scarlet nehru shirt tucked into fitted black trousers, bearing the common colors of the Ignus Magum.

 _A freefloater._

Anna didn't realized they had been walking until they met their destination, the clicking of Iakob's polished black shoes coming to an abrupt halt as she noticed him dropping to one knee, fist over his heart. She internally chuckled at his ministration, knowing full well how traditional he was in regards to how he respected his superiors. Nonetheless, she followed his actions not wanting to be chastised by Iakob later.

 _If there is a later. This could change everything._

Her eyes widened at the sudden realization that this could be her last time traveling around with Iakob. It brought a pang to the heart her fist was enclosed over, yet made her stomach flutter with butterflies. It was about time that she started a new chapter of her life.

"Lady Ignus Magum, Lady Ultimum Maleficus," said Iakob, still on one knee.

"Please, Oraculi Archízoun and Miss Branansikt. There will be no need for such formalities here. We are dining as friends and equals tonight," Lady Ratulemen replied kindly before sighing, "Gods know we need such."

Iakob rose, his curly, chocolate brown hair bouncing slightly as he rose to his feet, tapping Anna's shoulder to signal doing the same. Following his lead, she got up and locked eyes with Lady Sydalnnar for a small second. There was the most odd, knowing look in her pupils; like she knew something that no one else did. But just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished, leaving a warm smile in its wake. Sydalnnar's eyes did not move. Breaking eye contact, Anna began.

"You requested my presence, my Ladies?" she asked. Lady Ratulemen nodded.

"Yes. It has come to my attention that you have mastered the final form of Ignus Magum," she replied. Anna nodded. The Indonesian looked around at the scene before them; there were too many people for such a private discussion.

"Iakob," she called. His eyes snapped over to her and stood, ready for orders.

"Yes, my Lady?" he replied.

"Retrieve Lord de l'Eau for me, if you would be so kind." His eyes widened for a brief second, as did Lady Sydalnnar's.

"I believe he's conversing with Lord Frost over there, by the clock tower," she told him, nodding in the direction of the two men. Iakob nodded, bowed, and left to retrieve them.

"He always was the one for formalities," Sydalnnar mused.

"Indeed, Yusraa. At least he remains true to his beliefs," the darker skinned Lady chuckled. Yusraa smiled, then looked over at Anna.

"Gita, should we go to somewhere more private?" she asked, losing the mirth of her prior statement, "this isn't exactly the place to have as serious a discussion as the one we're going to have in a few moments."

Iakob and Lord Lezigha de l'Eau headed back toward them. Lord de l'Eau was a giant of a man; his dark complexion a reflection of his Nigerian nationality and the copious amount of time spent outside training pupils in the ways of water; his broad shoulders and tree trunk arms that rippled with strength underneath were hidden beneath his cape, an ancient textile of the Aqua Magus that was passed down from generation to generation of the Lords and Ladies that inherited the position he was in then. His giant claymore hung sheathed within his scabbard by his side, fitting for a man of his stature.

He bowed before the Ladies.

"Good evening, Gita. Greetings, Lady Sydalnnar," he greeted, thick Nigerian accent peppering his Latin. The use of a formal title did not go unnoticed by any of them; they knew that he only referred to his friends by their first names.

"Good evening, Lezigha. I take it you are doing well this evening?" Gita asked politely.

"Ah, indeed. Jack and I were just discussing how good the pig is this time," he chuckled. When he smiled, Anna noticed, there was a small gap between his first two teeth. For all his terrifying appearance gave him, he seemed to have a generally pleasant air about him. Perhaps it was the trained tongue of the political game of Lords and Ladies, or maybe it was genuine. For now, Anna had not a clue.

They began making small talk and walking toward something akin to a conference room; aside from the fact that the table had ten seats, and the table itself was made of stone and circular. Everyone sat down in their respective seats while Anna stood, awaiting permission to seat. Once granted, she sat on a chair made of dried obsidian.

"Iakob. I thank you for your help tonight. However, this is a conversation I'd like to have privately. You are dismissed," Lady Sydalnnar said. He bowed deeply, then locked eyes with Anna. His gaze spoke for him.

 _I'm proud of you._

Sharing a smile with Anna, he took his leave.

"Not that I mean to sound as though I am being disrespectful, but why was I brought here but Oraculi Archízoun?" he asked, intending no rudeness in his tone. Gita glanced at Anna.

"Well, I'd like to talk about a new potential prospect for your Line," she explained. His eyes followed her gaze and rested on Anna.

"Vishal," called Gita. Promptly, the Fijian servant arrived, clad in nothing but a traditional white sulu and a carved ivory talisman upon his chest in order to showcase his lithe frame. He bowed, awaiting orders from her.

"Would you mind, terribly, getting Sir Shadow and Sir Ababwa? I feel as though they should be present," she requested. Lezigha and Yusraa nodded.

"She is bearing the colors of the Ignus Magum," he stated plainly, as if the fact was unnoticed.

 _Belonging to no one._

"Is that a problem?" Yusraa said. There was a challenge in her voice, one that dared him to say yes. His eyes met hers and Anna could swear she saw and smelled steam.

"I mean not to chastise you both, as you have mothers for that, but please. Keep the peace, if only for tonight," Gita asked. At the sound of her even voice, the two instantly eased off one another.

"Not at all, Lady Sydalnnar," he said, replying to Yusraa's challenge carefully. Anna looked curiously between the two, wondering what had made them dislike each other so much. She understood that there was a natural rivalry between the Ignus Magum and the Aqua Magus, but she didn't think it boiled down to individual detestment.

Sir Naveen Shadow and Sir Aladdin Ababwa then entered, taking their proper seats next to their respective Lord and Lady.

Anna, on numerous occasions, had seen Sir Ababwa. Tonight was different, however; tonight, he donned his Laena, of which a brilliant red shirt of his craft was etched with intricate designs of white silk thread of his own making; his normally mussed black hair was now combed and tidied, and his silver sash, tied around his waist, dictated his position as an Advisor.

Anna had never seen Naveen Shadow, however. He had thick brown hair atop his head, a fine chiseled jaw and broad smile. She noticed he had decided to don a different Laena than she would have expected, composed of a dark blue sweater with a silver vest and a black cravat.

"So, Ladies and Gentlemen, what are we discussing today?" Sir Naveen questioned, all charms and smiles. Gita smiled in kind, and Pocahontas spoke for her.

"Just the potential induction of a new pupil into the Line of Water," she replied. Naveen's smile broadened.

"Well that's just great! Isn't it, Lezigha?" Sir Shadow asked, turning to see his older friend's face pensive, thinking. His smile fell from his face.

"My Lord?" he asked, concerned.

"It is indeed…" he responded. Naveen's brow furrowed.

"Who is this new inductee, if I may so ask?" Sir Ababwa inquired. Gita, Pocahontas, Yusraa and Lezigha's eyes fell on Anna. Aladdin and Naveen's gazes were soon to follow in the same direction.

" _Her?"_ they exclaimed at the same time, incredulous.

"Yes. Her," confirmed Lady Ratulemen. Anna shifted uncomfortably under the apparent scrutiny placed upon her. There was small discussion shortly afterwards, small voices talking about what to do about this situation. Anna felt like she was a party where she knew no one, yet everyone knew her.

After what seemed like ages, the three parties seemed to come to an agreement.

"You may join the Line of the Aqua Magus to learn our ways, if you wanted to do so," said Lord de l'Eau mechanically.

"However, I still have to ask: why am I being asked to take one of the Ignus Magum into my L— " he cut himself off, realizing mid-sentence the reasoning behind the request and eyes widening.

"Oh. Well, I didn't realize that— my apologies for being so close minded, Gita." She nodded her forgiveness.

"I understand your hesitation, but we do think that her next course of action should be to learn her polar opposite. It would make everything else significantly easier, as far as training goes," she explained.

"Well, it's up to you now, Anna. If you so wished to, you could stay comfortably within the Line of Fire, most likely to become a Lady and Head of a House or Branch. Or, you could progress with your training and move to the next Line, that being the Line of Water," Lady Ratulemen said. Anna's face became pensive, wondering if this was for her. On one hand, she would have a home, a Branch to call her own. She could rest easy, knowing that she could go home and be part of something. She could bear the colors of her House or Branch and find sanctuary.

But…

Her mind flitted to Elsa for the umpteenth time that day. Though the blonde would never be the driving force behind such a monumental decision, the thought of her still gave the redhead reason to move on, to press her cause forward and not give up, settling for the comfortable in lieu of the complex and unknown.

 _Mom and Dad would want me to go on. If not for me, then for them._

"I've made my choice," Anna declared. All eyes turned to her.

"Well, this was a tough decision to make, but…"

* * *

 **A/N: What? I like cliff hangers sometimes. However, I've noticed that since my comeback from the year-long-hiatus, I've still somehow managed to acquire more followers. I feel drive again, and I can't thank you enough for that. Have a fantastic week/month, guys. I'll see you next time! ~Burns (p.s., I need cover art. Hella bad. If I could draw it, I would... But I can't. So... If any of you can draw and would be okay with submitting your lovely skills to me on my tumblr {therealburnsx3 . tumblr . com} then I would love you forever. Thankyouguyssomuchloveyoubye)**


	8. Choices, Choices (part 2)

**Usual disclaimer. A/N:** _I lied about fluff in the last chapter, though there are is some awkward fluffiness between Elsa and Anna on this one. Important thing at the end I need y'all to read, if you would be so kind. Hey, by the way... **We hit fifty follows**! Holy bejeezus, I didn't even think we'd hit 25. Thank you so much, guys. You mean the entire world to me :) **Warning: There is violence at the end of this chapter. If this triggers you, please skip over it.** As always, thank you for reading and enjoy!_

 _Update: next chapter is written. It's heavy as hell, but is necessary. Be ready._

* * *

"You do understand why I'm still hesitant to have you in my Line, correct?"

"Of course, my Lord. But please, understand that I am trying to progress forward past the image that my father made for the Isånd family. If you would please give me the chance to prove that I am different than him, then I will, my Lord," came the reply.

Elsa sat across from Lord de l'Eau, who sat stoically, listening to the blonde woman's request and reasoning for wanting to be part of his Line. The mountain of a man knew that, regardless, she would be in the Line by the end of the day. She couldn't be the Dame without being in the Line, and Tonna was set on having Elsa as her adviser.

He contemplated Elsa's reasoning in silence. There were multiple ways to disprove the theory that she was like her father to him, but one in particular stood out. One that Agðar would never be able to do.

"I'll let you be apart of my line, Dame Isånd… Under one condition," he said, "Take on our newest inductee as your apprentice." Elsa's dark eyebrows scrunched together.

"We have a new inductee?" She inquired, having previously thought that she was the newest member of the line. The man nodded his capped head in confirmation.

"Yes. Her name is — " he was cut off mid-sentence by the person in question herself.

"Lord de l'Eau!"

"Well, here she comes now," he said. Her eyes widened larger than moons. She'd know that voice in an instant.

 _Anna._

Elsa's heart stuttered over itself. She turned slowly as the most wonderful sight she could have possibly hoped to see was presented to her. Anna was dressed currently in the common garb of the Line of Fire, but the bag in her hand left no room for wondering that it was the common garb of the Line of Water, especially by the colors of blue and light grey of the clothes in said bag.

When Elsa and Anna locked eyes, sky met sea; the redhead's face split into a gigantic smile, and in the beat Elsa's heart skipped, she turned to the Lord Aqua Magus.

"You wanted to speak with me, _my Lord_?" Anna asked, the smile on her face broadening at the emphasis she placed on the fact that he was now her Lord, her commander. She was _his_ subject now. Though it made her sad to have left her home in the realm of Fire, she now had a new chapter to begin: mastering Water.

"Indeed. I want you to get started with training as soon as possible, especially given the fact that many of our mentors are currently teaching several apprentices right now," he explained. His night black eyes shifted over to Elsa.

"Except for a few, that is." Elsa's heart started to pound wildly against her Laena, and she was surprised her white sash wasn't moving along with her rapid fire heart rate.

Of course, the blonde realized her reaction was completely unwarranted and over the top. She hardly knew Anna. She had gone on one date with her, and knew next to nothing about the redheaded girl. But there was no mistaking that there was a definite connection between them. A zing, as her once fellow apprentice Mable Drac had put it.

And, to Elsa's realization, she had never had a friend aside from Tonna. Of course, she'd had to have been congenial and had made acquaintances with various of her fellow apprentices prior. However, she lacked the desire to be closer to any of them. She loved her silence, the quiet lulls in the day that the other apprentices would spend talking to each other and having mock fights. Anna made her yearn for her company; even if they were not to mix well romantically, she knew that somehow their friendship would carry on.

"If what Lady Ek has told me is true, you have full control over your powers. That said, you are of mentoring capability, yes?" Lord de l'Eau asked. Elsa nodded, being taken from her thoughts.

"Then we might as well start with the most difficult form to master. Dame Elsa, I want you to take on Miss Anna Branansikt as your new apprentice," he requested. Both women's eyebrows went into their hairline.

 _Surely Vita has planned this. I never quite believed in Soul Weaving before, but now…_

"Yes," she breathed. Lezigha seemed surprised. There was virtually no way that the pair of them could have met before. Having belonged to separate Lines — rival Lines, at that — left next to no opportunities for the two to meet. Right?

"That is, yes, I'll mentor her, my Lord. Thank you," she clarified, cheeks tinged pink as she bowed deeply. Her gratitude, he knew, was meant for more than just the opportunity to mentor.

She was thanking him for a chance to start fresh, for an opportunity to clear her family name. He nodded in return, and she rose.

"Dame Elsa… I leave the rest to you. Congratulations, the both of you. I wish you well," he said. Lezigha then regarded Anna.

"When you are done, Miss Branansikt, return to me. I will put you under Lady Kovalski's tutelage after you are done learning the ways of the Glaciem Magistri," he instructed. Anna vigorously nodded. Lord de l'Eau bid the women a final farewell, then went his way.

There was a brief moment of silence between the pair of them, eyes locking again before flitting away.

"Well, I guess we should get to know each other a bit better than last time, El-" Anna paused, realizing the title that her mentor now bore, "Sorry, Dame Isånd." The redhead's cheeks colored pink at the sight of Elsa's hand covering her oncoming chuckle.

"Please, Anna. Just Elsa will be okay," the blonde said through some small laughter. The younger woman's visage cracked into a smile despite herself.

"Care to join me for coffee tomorrow? There are a few things I'd like to discuss with you before we start training," asked Elsa, "and I've heard that Moana's is a really good cafe around here." Anna smirked at her in response.

"Are _you_ asking _me_ out on a date this time, Elsa?" countered Anna. It was the taller woman's turned to blush as the redhead giggled unabashedly, toothy grin spreading to her _mentor's_ face (even though her ears and neck were still aflame).

"I suppose so," she replied. Anna's smile widened even further.

"Then I gladly accept," she responded.

* * *

Lezigha found Gita eventually, leaning more toward the very end of the convention as per her request. The large man had many things running through his head as of the moment; he had two new inductees in one day, and a handful of other matters to discuss, particularly the recent skirmishes that had been going with the Ignus Magum and Aqua Magus. They had always been rivals, but as of late tensions had been mounting considerably. It was a problem that was beginning to weigh heavily on his mind with each passing day.

They sat a table constructed by Gita's impeccable craftsmanship yet again. Lezigha sat down across from her, settling himself and finally beginning to partake in the feast part of the convention. His stomach rumbled at the delicious pig presented to him, and he took a sizable portion for himself onto his plate. He filled his cup with water and downed it quickly, before noticing a lack of Gita's best friend and advisor.

"No Pocahontas?" He asked, taking off his hat and saying a quick prayer to the Gods before finally eating.

"I'm afraid not, my friend. She's currently convening with Sir Smith. I think she may have taken a fancy to him," she replied, a chuckle tumbling out of her lips, "I do, however, wish to discuss Elsa with you." Lezigha slowed down his chewing and met the Lady's gaze. Swallowing quickly, he wiped his face of food before speaking.

"What of her? I have her inducted in, as per both yours and her request," he explained.

"It's not that, Lezigha. Her blood test came back, and we found an interesting discovery in her genealogy… " she began. The Nigerian Lord's back straightened.

"Oh?" He replied, unsure of where this was beginning to lead.

"Indeed. Do you know of Lukas Vinter?" she inquired. He nodded. Who couldn't? The man one of the most instrumental parts of stopping World War I and II. He was the single most powerful Aqua Magus since Matthieu Montagne, from 1509.

"She is his great-great granddaughter. We found evidence in her gene pattern that she has potential to become the next Aqua Magus, should she choose to send herself down that path," the Indonesian explained. The Lord seem to process it all for about thirty seconds, before inquiring upon something.

"And the genes show up strong? All of them?" he asked

"All of them, Lezigha. She's not just of the Glaciem Magistri. She has strong genes in all respects, but it seems that her genes lie most prevalent in the realm of Ice, which most likely explains her natural inclination toward it as opposed to other forms of water," she told him. He absorbed the information, and soon realized what it meant.

"She will have to come under my tutelage, will she not?" he asked. When the Lady in front of him nodded, he continued.

"And I will need to tell her. But when?" he inquired. Gita smiled.

"That, my friend, is up to you. It will be your choice, ultimately, to tell her and take her under your wing or let her live her life, unknowing of the vast potential she holds," she said, a slight frown grazing across her features, "I do hope you make the right choice, Lezigha. Meeting adjourned."

* * *

"Sir —" the desperate man pleaded. His eyes were covered by a rag, and only recently had his gag been removed, if only to talk his captor. His ribs were starting to show — he was a thin man to begin with — and he felt as though he had been here for weeks.

In reality, it had only been a few days. Enough time for Rí and his men to allow poke and prod at the man to leave him fearful and starving, a combination that never went well together.

 _SMACK!_

" _Your Majesty_ ," corrected Rí, his smooth tone betraying his harsh actions. Rí smiled at the name he chose for himself. He _was_ fit to be a king, after all. And by the end of his endeavor, a king he would be.

"Y-Your Majesty, I truly know nothing! Please, sir —" a punch to the gut had the man winded beyond belief. In the next moment, his head smacked against the stone wall as large hands grasped his throat. His wrists were tied and somehow all the magical energy in his body had been restrained by the cuffs that encompassed his hands. He could not use his water to slice through the chains. And this time, Rí was not so kind with his correction.

"Use the wrong title **one more time** , and I will crush your balls with my bare hands, you filthy fuck. _Who am I_?" he hissed out.

"Y-Y-Your Maj-Majesty," the man choked out, and Rí's gripped slackened immensely. He turned the man's chin to the side and gave his cheek a loud peck. There was simultaneous chuckling among at least five men. If the man had even a scrap of dignity left after the threat to crush his testicles, it was long gone now.

"And what is your name?" Rí asked, once again returning to the deceptively kind tone he had before. When the man failed to answer for a moment, beginning to lose consciousness, Rí sighed and lightly slapped his face.

"Stay awake now, and I won't kill you. You're about as much use to me asleep as you are dead," he told him. The man seemed to perk up a whole lot more after that.

"My… name is G-Gregory, Your Majesty," the man replied. Rí turned to his men and nodded. One of the older men came over, forced open Gregory's mouth, and shoved a bottle of water in. Gregory sputtered at first, but drank as much water as he possibly could. Rí knew that this was the only drink he'd had in days; the only reason he even considered giving him water in the first place is because he knew the barriers around his hands restricted him from using magic. A creation of his own design; one he was damn proud of, at that.

"See, Gregory? Just comply to what I ask and things will be a whole lot easier for the both of us," Rí explained condescendingly.

"Y-yes, Your Majesty," Gregory replied, his voice laced with exhaustion and defeat. Rí knew in that moment that Gregory was broken. Being broken meant answers, and answers meant progress.

"Gregory, I want you to tell me everything you know of the Line of Water. Anything and everything."

Anything and everything from Gregory, Rí knew, would not be enough.

But for now, it was a start.

* * *

 **A/N p. 2:** _Ohhhh yeah, things are starting to get spicy up in here. So anyway, the important thing I needed y'all to read. **I'm going to be updating based on every 5-10 reviews I get*.** It motivates me immensely when I get criticism/feedback, more so than a deadline of once per week or three times a month. A story I enjoy immensely, the Queen's Mercy (READ THAT ISH. IT IS SO GOOD AND THE PLOT IS SO GOOD AND UGH EVERYTHING ABOUT IT IS SO GOOD LIKE FUCK MY LIFE UP), does the thing that I'd like to start doing. I'll respond to your reviews as well at the end of the chapter, just like that author does. _

_Once again, I thank you for choosing to read my story in time that you could be doing something else. Every view makes me beyond happy, and every follow/favorite/review motivates me more than I thank many of you realize._

 _*Update: **So, basically, I'm either going to update once a week or every 5-10 reviews, whichever comes first. I have the next chapter done and really want to share with you guys; it's long, dark, backstory filled, and full of plot.**_

 _Alright everyone, I'll see you next time!_ ~ **Burns**


	9. Preparations

**Usual disclaimer.** _This chapter is very backstory focused, particularly on Tonna. If you don't feel like reading entirely about Tonna for about two thousand words, then scroll more towards the end. As always, thank you for choosing my story to read in your time and I hope you can drop a review to tell me what you think/if you have any questions! Speaking of, **responses from last week's reviews are at the end of this chapter.** As always, enjoy!_

* * *

"Yusraa," Princess Jasmine said, grasping the attention of her sister. They were back in the Palace again, Yusraa taking her leave as soon as possible after the Election. She had more important things to attend to at home than she did in Fiji. Jasmine continued on.

"We still have gotten nowhere with the people that we captured. The only slight thing that could be useful was this X on their left arms, but they're not telling us _why_ they are uprising. They just keep repeating a single phrase, over and over again. It gives us nothing but more questions than it does answers."

Yusraa rested her elbows on the table, burying her face in her hands. These uprisings and skirmishes were a major thorn in her side, in addition to the fact that they were making her Line look cruel and troublesome; especially with the Line of Water. While it was no secret that the two Lines had a deep rooted rivalry, peace among them had always been maintained. The sudden outbursts were unwarranted and unprovoked, this she knew. There was no reason for either side to attack each other.

 _So what in the hell was the problem?_ Sighing, the black haired Lady lifted her head and looked at her sister tiredly.

"What exactly were they saying, dearest sister?" she asked her younger sibling. Jasmine's gaze shifted uncertainly.

"It was a different language, I believe. One that I've never heard, at least, and you know how much Father made me study the languages growing up. I think it is a lost language, one that has not been used in upwards of a thousand years. I can't be certain, though," she explained to her older sister, "But they were saying the same thing, over and over again, like a broken record. Nothing else, all five of them." Yusraa's curiosity and impatience flared up.

"And _what_ exactly was the phrase?" she inquired. Jasmine closed her eyes in recollection, then opened them a few seconds later.

"An rí teacht. Scriosadh bheith leis an ordú."

* * *

Elsa walked back to the hotel with Tonna, mind alight and racing with thoughts. Though she kept her face stoic, she knew that Tonna was still bound to ask about how the night went. And with that, she would tell her about her new _student_ , whom she also went on a date with in Geilo. She really wasn't sure how Tonna would take the news; would she be happy, sad? Angry, even? Was it even proper to take on someone as your pupil who you could potentially acquire feelings for?

Elsa blinked at the thought. She was getting ahead of herself, this she knew. To be attached meant to have a weakness, but it also meant to have cause, to have purpose.

 _Ugh._ She exhaled quickly through her nose. This was going to be a hell of a lot more difficult than she originally thought. She noticed Tonna regarding her out of the corner of her eye, ceasing her tirade about how Sweden fared poorly in the World Cup of Hockey this past game.

"Something is on your mind, and I know it's not the fact that you're as appalled as I am at Sweden's dumb team," she joked, lightly prodding Elsa to tell her what's wrong; or, for that matter, what's right. Elsa seemed to contemplate telling her, for a few seconds, but concluded on explaining the situation.

"I've been assigned a pupil." Tonna blinked; once, twice, three times. Then she broke out into a smile and pulled Elsa into a fierce hug. The younger of the two was surprised, entirely taken aback by _how_ well Tonna received the news.

"That's amazing! Why, you could bring them back to the Temple and all!" her exclamation had Elsa smiling from ear to ear as they resumed their walking. They soon arrived back at the hotel.

"Who is it, exactly?" Tonna asked. She had a right to, Elsa knew, but this is the part she'd been most apprehensive about telling to her past mentor.

"Well… Do you remember the girl I was telling you about in Geilo, the one who I went on a date with?" Her ears still darkened at the memory. They got into the elevator and Elsa hit the third floor. Tonna's eyebrows scrunched together, and she nodded in confusion.

"It's her. Her name is Anna," she told the greying woman. As the elevator arrived at their floor, Tonna stood in the compartment, shocked. Her eyes passed over about fifty different emotions, soon settling on something unreadable. No matter what the predominant emotion was, as unknown as it was, there was one emotion Elsa knew for certain.

 _Pain_.

They settled down in their hotel, Elsa undoing her hair and sitting cross legged on her bed. Her full attention was turned toward Tonna.

"I think it's time I tell you about Rörik Nordin, my dear. Sit down, for this is by far a tale that you need to strap in for."

* * *

 _Tonna Ek was a young, bright minded eighteen year-old when she went to her first Order meeting, twenty four years ago. She was incredibly gifted in Ice, and knew virtually everything there was to know about it. Her mother and father were both well respected members and mentors in the Glaciem Magistri, allowing them certain access to meetings that normally only Lords and Ladies would have access to. That brought her here, to watch the voting process by which the Heads and Magi would vote upon who would be the new Aqua Magus._

 _Unfortunately, Lord Poseidon Thálassa, the old Aqua Magus, had resigned, creating a gap at the table that the Magi had sat at then. At this time, Lord Walter Disney had been the Ultimum Maleficus, and thusly sat in the largest throne of five present._

 _Although Tonna had been sad about Lord Poseidon's resignation, she knew that it was time for him to go anyway, being that he was about eighty five and becoming too old even the normal paperwork that Tonna knew the Lords and Ladies had was becoming laborious._

 _As Lord Disney stood, so did the rest of the congregation. Confused, Tonna sat, before her mother Joline tugged her up with she and her father Neo. It seemed that everyone had anxiously awaited the Lord to say something._

 _"Nos incipere," he said before taking his seat. Tonna understood those words; she was well versed in Latin, as every Elemental was. Hearing the words 'We begin' bore some importance, she knew, especially at a meeting like this. She noticed the wave of people sitting down as soon as Lord Disney took his seat, and soon followed suit. Soon, the general run over of news began to stream from the Lord Ultimum Magus's mouth. Out of disinterest, she began scanning the sea of people._

 _Then, she noticed him._

 _In a crowd of people, she knew it was possible to lose someone among the faces. But this person was, without a doubt, the most… interesting person she had ever laid eyes on. He had fair skin, but the thing that stood out the most to her was that his hair was very, very thick, pushed back on his head and the deepest black she had ever seen. She realized he had belonged to the Line of Water, and not only that — to the Glaciem Magistri. An older man sat next to him, listening to Lord Disney attentively, with salt and pepper hair, that was undoubtedly his father. The only apparent difference was their hair color, height, and the slight wrinkles that marred the older man's visage, along with a beard of the same color as his hair as opposed to his son's clean shaven face._

 _Oh, Gods, she thought, I know them._

 _Mikel Nordin and his nineteen year-old son, Rörik! When Rörik looked over to her, rubbing the back of his neck out of boredom, doing the same thing that she was in the moment, she noticed the final difference between himself and his father: his eyes were the brightest shade of golden green she had ever seen in her life. Mikel was the current Lord Glaciem Magistri, whom Tonna had gotten her induction into the Glaciem Magistri from. That was nearly three years ago; she had been learning the Ways since she could walk, and spewing Ice came as easy to her now as breathing. Most things were, as a matter of fact; her intelligence was superior to many._

 _Rörik, however, was one thing she couldn't decipher on sight. Thus, she knew that she had to talk to him. At the end of the election, when the young Lord de l'Eau was elected the new Lord Aqua Magus and the feast began, Tonna went up to Rörik; he was easily six foot two, a foot taller than her small self._

 _"Hello, Mister Nordin. My name is Tonna Ek; you might know my parents, Neo and Joline," she said. He nodded._

 _"Just Röry is fine, thank you Miss Ek," he responded, his voice cool and collected, "Your parents are valuable voices to the Glaciem Magistri. I suppose that's why you're all here?" She confirmed his beliefs._

 _"Indeed," she replied, before waving her hand, "And please. No need for formalities like that. I'm just Tonna."_

 _"Just Tonna?" he returned, "You're too pretty to be 'just Tonna'." They both looked at each other in surprise; clearly, Rörik was just as shocked as she was at the declaration._

 _"So tell me, Röry… How do you sit through these meetings all the time? I would go insane from boredom," she asked, not allowing there to be an awkward silence. He rolled his eyes and dragged a hand down his face, sighing deeply._

 _"Get used to it. It's the most awful thing in the entire world," he groaned, evidently having been to such long meetings before. She laughed loudly, before showing a toothy smile which he returned._

 _"Please, do tell of your survival strategies; I may need them so I might not die of disinterest in the future," she joked._

 _"Why don't you sit down with me and I'll tell you every single one," he chuckled with a wink. The two sat together and talked all evening, enjoying each other's company and speaking of senseless nothingness._

 _Eventually, their families had to come get them and almost force them apart to get them to stop talking. Forlornly, they said their goodbyes to each other; Tonna wanted to know him more._

 _So she decided to do something about it._

 _As Rörik and Mikel began to walk away, she turned and ran after the younger man._

 _"Röry!" she exclaimed. He turned in surprise, before being pulled down by two hands around his neck. Tonna gave him a peck on the cheek and his face got bright as a tomato._

 _"Here's my address. Write me!" she demanded playfully. He nodded slowly, before his own face morphed into a smile. They parted their separate ways then, each feeling satisfied with the night._

* * *

"And from there, Elsa, we began to see and write each other at least every other day," the current Tonna explained, "and soon enough, our friendship blossomed into a full blown relationship. By the Gods, Elsa. I loved that man more than I loved anything else in my life. He was the single most important person I had. And after my mother died, one of the _only_ people I had. When his father died, he was grief stricken, and asked me to take over the position when we he was twenty three and I twenty two. We had been together for four years at that point.

"I said yes, under the condition that he became my advisor," she explain. Tonna heard the blonde breathe in deeply, knowing the answer to the mystery of Tonna being advisor-less until just today would be upcoming soon.

"He proposed, when I was twenty six and he twenty seven, but that's a different story for a much different time." She smiled in recollection, before her face fell into a deep frown, a face full of pain becoming evident.

"Tonna… if it's too much to talk about, I understand," Elsa said carefully. This was clearly a very tough topic for her past mentor to discuss, and she didn't want to push her further than her mental boundaries would allow.

"No, Elsa. I need to tell you about this," Tonna replied, and continued on.

* * *

 _It was as normal day as any; just a few weeks after Tonna's twenty seventh birthday and just a few months before their wedding. The dirty blonde woke up with her head on Rörik's bare chest, his hand holding hers over his hip; she smiled at the beautiful ring on her finger. She listened to the steady rhythm of his gentle pulse, slow from the veil of sleep. It was about eleven in the morning, and she knew that the past night of lovemaking had exhausted the both of them much, and the long rest that followed in the afterglow was necessary for the both of them to face the day. She could have stayed there all day, content to lie in bed. However, it was getting late. Reluctantly, she propped herself up on one elbow, the white sheets falling down her torso._

 _"Min kärlek… It's time to wake up" she whispered in his ear. When he stirred only slightly, she gently peppered kisses along his jawline, which now had a light beard lining it, before reaching his mouth. She softly coaxed him into awakening by repeatedly pecking his lips until he began to reciprocate. His arms wrapped around her waist as he pulled her on top of him, so that one of her legs was on either side of his hips. The black haired man pulled back and rested his forehead against hers._

 _"You're lucky I love you, Kära," he teased, smile evident in his tone. She giggled._

 _"You're lucky that you love me, Röry!" she joked, slapping his chest and getting out of bed. "Uppity up my love, we have to clean the house; your mother is coming today!" Her fiancé groaned from the mattress._

 _"I don't want to get up, Ton," he complained. He loved his mother, that shew knew; however, the cleaning part was always his least favorite part by far._

 _"Well, tell your mother that when she comes her to a filthy house," she retorted. She heard him scoff, but begin to move._

 _"It's not filthy, love. Now you're just exaggerating." She rolled her eyes as she finished getting ready, throwing on a pair of sweatpants and a black sports bra, proceeding to put her dirty blonde hair in a pony tail. She heard her lover open his drawers and grab out boxers and a pair of jeans. As soon as they were done brushing their teeth, they got to work cleaning._

 _It was simple enough for the majority of the day. Around dinner time, they got washed up and set the table for Elise, Rörik's mother. Their Ice cat, Björk, purred loudly as he rubbed his flank along Tonna's leg. Smiling, her fiancé embraced her from behind._

 _"She's mine, Björk. Back off!" He chastised playfully, kissing the top of Tonna's head. She grinned widely, stirring the carrots she currently was boiling. Rörik rested his chin on her hair, humming in thought._

 _"What's on your mind, sweetheart?" She inquired._

 _"I'm just thinking about how obviously good the cake is going to taste at our wedding," he replied, causing them both to chuckle._

 _Then, the doorbell rang. That fucking doorbell. Tonna had gone to go answer it, thinking it was her soon-to-be mother in law arriving just in time for dinner; but Rörik had gone instead, since she had been in the middle of cooking._

 _"Mama—" he began, only to be greeted with a black steel sword through his abdomen. He gave out a silent cry of agony before the blade was removed and he dropped to his knees._

 _One moment, she and her love had been talking about how excited they were for the delicious cake to be consumed by the pair. The next, her fiancé was on the floor in a rapidly expanding pool of blood._

 _Tonna's body moved on instinct. Her eyes glowed a dangerous yellow as she created a protective dome around Rörik's body, and killed the assailants in an instant. Rörik's dead mother's head was held in one of the assassin's hands._

Oh my Gods, Oh my Gods, Oh my Gods.

 _She ran back inside and made the dome disappear, finding Rörik trying and failing to ice his wound shut. He was losing energy and life quickly; Tonna was not of the Healing Sector, and therefore could do nothing to save her love. She grasped his hands in hers, the normally strong fingers wrapping weakly around her hands._

 _"Kära, du är kärlek i mitt liv ... Jag älskar dig med hela mitt hjärta," he proclaimed softly, but with unshakeable confidence. She started openly sobbing at this point, and he shakily reached his hand up and wiped away some of the tears flowing from her eyes._

 _"I love you, Rörik. I love you, I love you, I —" she cut herself off with a choked sob. He shook his head slowly, a small, small smile gracing his paling features. Even in his time of dying, he managed to retain part of his good nature._

 _"Come on, my dear. Show me that smile I fell in love with on the night we first met," he pleaded. She cried harder, but attempted to anyway for him. He smiled at her loving, the warmest expression in his eyes he could muster with the energy he had left._

 _"Kiss me, my love, so that I may greet Horatius with a smile," he requested weakly._

 _She leaned down and kissed him; again, and again, and again, all the while allowing her tears to fall freely on his face, hoping to kiss him back into good health. She kissed him until she felt his body limp, until she felt the Magic exit his body with a final breath against her lips. And she stayed there, sobbing, crying, hoping to wake up from the nightmare this had to be._

* * *

"If it was a nightmare, Elsa, then I am still living in it," she whispered, a lone tear rolling down her cheek, "Because I have never woken up next to Rörik since that day."

Elsa had started quietly crying ages ago; her mentor, the good person she was today, went through such an ordeal and still retained the generally positive outlook she did on life? Her mental strength far superseded Elsa's, in every respect. She wiped away her tears, before meeting Tonna's eyes.

"So, my dear, you must understand why I was so hesitant about having another advisor. I haven't allowed anyone to get close to me like I have you since Röry's death," she said, wiping away the tear that had trailed down her cheek, "Because I simply could not have dealt with the death of another person I cared so deeply about. And with the rising tensions between Lines over the recent years, bloodshed has become more and more common…" She shook her head, lips becoming a thin line.

"Elsa, I love you as though you were my child," she told her. The words meant more to Elsa than Tonna realized; or maybe _did_ realize. Elsa's eyes began misting over again. Serving as her maternal figure for the past ten years, she was the only maternal figure that the younger woman had to reference off of. Hell, she had practically raised her.

"So putting you as my advisor was, easily, the hardest decision I've ever had to make," she explained, "because it would mean that I could no longer protect as one of my pupils. And to have another person in my life taken away…" Her voice cracked, brown eyes shifting to the side.

"Well, then living would be even more laborious than it was fifteen years ago," she paused for a moment, collecting herself, before carrying onward, "and I don't know if I'd remain in the Order for much longer." Elsa's eyes widened immensely. Her mother figure, the Lady Glaciem Magistri, one of the most devoted figures in Water, to step down? The idea was so foreign to hear she wasn't even sure if she had heard her correctly. But by the look on her face, the blue eyed girl knew that she had.

There came the sudden realization, like a freight train, that Tonna was mortal. She felt pain, and that agony was one she had to live with each and every day of her life.

Elsa had never respected her more than she had in that moment.

"Tonna… who killed Rörik?" she asked, a frightening coldness that the older woman was taken aback by. She knew that it was not directed at her, but it still put her at unease all the same.

"I've not the slightest idea. The only thing that I remember after inspecting the bodies was the fact that each of them had a brand on them, specifically an X on their left arms," she started slowly, "this was at the time that many Lords and Ladies had assassination attempts on their lives. For what reason, I'm not sure. I, the Lady, failed to be killed… at the expense of another. There were more afterward, but each and every time they failed to end me." Elsa sat in quiet contemplation. For once, Tonna could not read her face.

"Regardless, my friend. I didn't tell you this story out of nowhere, or without reason. Elsa, you're on your own now. For both of our sake's, please keep safe… The one you love most could be ripped from you at any moment, or, perhaps worse… you be ripped from them. There are many things that have been happening as of late that worry me. Especially between Water and Fire… Speaking of, isn't Anna _of_ Fire?" she questioned.

"Yes, indeed she is. She somehow has the ability, to some degree, to master water." The Lady's eyebrows scrunched together, before thinking of something that danced over her eyes for a few moments, before she seemed to come to a defeated conclusion.

"She cannot train at the Temple." There was silence following the statement, Elsa not seeming to fully comprehend what she had just said.

"What?"

"I said, she cannot train at the Temple." Seeing that she had heard correctly, Elsa's eyes glowed an unnaturally bright blue, the temperature in the room beginning to drop rapidly. She jumped up suddenly, jaw clenched.

"You tell the story of how you lost the man you love, then have the _audacity_ to say that you love me like your _child_ , but refuse to let me mentor at the capital of Ice," she fumed, "Why? Why in the _Hell_ would you send me off after telling me how much —"

 _SLAP!_

The temperature in the room returned abruptly to normal, the glow in Elsa's eyes stopping suddenly as she stood shocked, the handprint on her cheek already forming an angry red mark.

"How _dare_ you, Elsa," Tonna said, an icy calmness coating her voice, "How _dare_ you question me and think that I would send you away without a reason. I just exposed the most difficult moment of my life to you, and am soon to be faced with another one; sending you off isn't _fucking_ easy, I hope you realize this." The expletive shocked the blonde almost as much as the slap had. Tonna was _pissed._

She got up in Elsa's face, the intensity of emotions and adrenaline typically associated with battle giving her eyes an unnerving glow. It wasn't like Elsa's, not the neon blue that her cerulean eyes normally got when she used Magic. Though her eyes were brown, they now glowed an eerie yellow from her interpretation of Magic.

"Anna is of the _Ignis. Magum_. I cannot risk the sacred place of hundreds of generations by chance that she slips up and accidentally releases a Lightning bolt or wave of Fire. She could potentially destroy one of the oldest relics of the entire Order, Elsa. We don't even know if she's dangerous or not to us. You know of the uprisings recently; who's to say she isn't part of that crew?" As much as Elsa didn't want to admit it, her past mentor had a point. The blonde broke eye contact, conceding defeat. Her lips pressed into a tight line, a ghost of a frown forming on her lips. Tonna's eyes slowly melted back into the warm brown they usually were

"Where do I go, then?" she mumbled. This was definitely going to prove to be a problem.

"Your father, maybe?" Tonna replied, slipping off her belt, "I call first shower, by the way." Elsa flopped back on her bed, trying and failing to come up with rational reasons as to why she shouldn't call her father. Everything she tried to supply to herself was futile, and soon realized that his house on the outskirts of Arendelle could be her only option at this point, until she could save up enough Krones to buy her own house or cabin or even temporarily rent a place.

"I suppose so, Tonna… That seems to be about my only option at this point," she admitted. She summoned Æinarr to lay with her and comfort her. The Snow fox laid next to her and snuggled into her stomach, curling up and falling asleep. Elsa scratched between his ears, causing a sound akin to a purr to bubble within his chest. His creator smiled to herself at his cuteness.

"I suppose I'll tell Anna tomorrow over coffee…" she thought outloud to him. He nuzzled into her side once more as she laid her head upon her pillow and shut her eyes, yawning. Sleep was more than welcome to wrap its gentle arms around Elsa, ushering her off into the realm of blissful nothingness.

* * *

"Iakob, I think this is going to be my final night with you and Kristoff." The redheaded girl knew she was going to have to tell them all why she was packing a day early. Kristoff looked at Anna sadly, knowing that she needed to go down this path but nonetheless wanting her to just stay with him and Iakob and Sven and Grand Pabbie and _everyone_ for as long as possible. They were basically brother and sister, having grown up together since they were four years old. Kristoff was the first person she came out to as bisexual to, and from his positive response she knew she could come out to the Trolls as well. They were a kind breed of magical beings, created from Plinius himself and placed on Earth as a gift to the Elementals when they were still the Children of Earth. Kristoff sighed.

 _We're all going to miss her._

Iakob had anticipated this coming, knowing it was only a matter of time until Anna chose to move on. She had learned the Ways of his Branch, and therefore completed her knowledge of the Ignis Magum; she had also never been one to sit contently around while knowing there was more that she could explore, so her statement wasn't as shocking to him as it was Kristoff.

"So that's what the meeting was about earlier," Iakob said plainly, a statement more so than a question. The girl nodded, confirming his suspicions.

Anna looked at the two men, waiting for them to react physically in some form. No sooner had she finished the thought had Kristoff engulfed her in a huge hug, holding her tightly to his chest. Sven came over soon too and nudged his head under Anna's arm. She felt tears come to her eyes and snuggled into Kristoff's broad chest. The redhead murmured something intelligible to the honey blonde before he pulled away from her, a questioning look in his kind brown eyes.

"What was that, Red?" he asked, earning him a grin at the use of his age old nickname for her.

"I said thank you, Kris." It was then when she pulled away from her adoptive sibling and looked over to Iakob. The man's kind smile told her all that she needed to know. He walked over to her and rested his hands on her shoulders, his eyes observing her eyes for her certainty. Seeing this, she nodded; there was an unspoken agreement between mentor and pupil.

"You remember that chick that gave me the money for the scimitar?

 _I will not forget you._

"Anna, if I may talk to you privately," her mentor requested, pulling them out into the hallway. Normally, they wouldn't have discussed something without Kristoff being there, but this was something important, something that he needed to make sure she knew.

"Anna… You know of the skirmishes between Water and Fire right now, correct?" Of course she did. Nearly everyone in the Ignis Magum and Aqua Magus did. She nodded.

"Well… Be careful, Anna. I have a little niggling in the back of my mind that they are using the pretenses of being in the Ignis Magum falsely. From what little we have gathered, the groups that keep attacking have X's branded into their left arms but don't speak the common tongue, or refuse to at any rate. I just want you to be safe, Anna; these men don't seem to use natural magic, not that any of us can sense anyway." The curly haired man placed a hand on her shoulder. "Just, please be safe. Alright? In the morning, I'm assuming, is when you're leaving." She nodded a confirmation. He patted her head fondly.

"You've been a great pupil, and I am sad to see you go. You're going to great things, I can feel it in my bones. And you know what they say —" he began.

"One's bones are never wrong!" They finished together. She laughed at the familiar phrase that a drunken old man had yelled at them when they were passing by the Parthenon, when she first had begun training with Iakob. They shared a brief smile before walking back in. Kristoff had, per usual, skipped his shower and was now on the couch, snoozing quietly with his head resting against Sven's furry side.

"You're already packed, right?" Iakob asked quietly.

"Mmhm," she confirmed, flopping down on her bed. The redhead stretched before settling underneath of the covers, undoing her dual braids. Yawning, Anna snuggled into her pillow, looking up to Iakob with tired eyes.

"Get some sleep then, young one. Gods know you need your rest for tomorrow," the tan man kindly ordered her, slipping into the bathroom for his nightly shower. Anna preferred morning showers; they were they only thing that seemed to wake her up.

Knowing that Iakob could create his own light to see, Anna shut off the lamp and closed her eyes. Tomorrow was going to be a long day, and she needed to be as well rested as possible. Eventually, coupled with the steady sound of the shower hitting the floor in the bathroom, Kristoff's gentle snoring, and the warmth of her comforter, Anna finally fell into the kind embrace of sleep, hoping to dream of Elsa and the new life she was about to enter.

* * *

 **A/N:** _As said previously: a lot of backstory this chapter on some of the minor characters. Poor Tonna! I want the backstory on our dearest Anna to be held on until it's brought up in conversation with Elsa. I was definitely debating on breaking this up into two chapters, but I felt one would be good. This is about three thousand words longer than one of my usual chapters, which usually weigh in at about 2,500ish words per chappy. I think it's important to preface the importance of Elsa's position now, and why she was chosen as opposed to someone with more experience. Sorry for the angst again, but pain makes the pleasure all the more better._

* * *

 **And now, for the reviews! (You guys who reviewed/followed/Favorited me this past week, thank you. I love y'all!)**

 **Strasza says** : I like how the story is going so far, and I would like to see how Elsa and Anna's relationship develops, I just hope you don't go the same route The Queens Mercy went, and make the two love birds end up at odds with each other

 **Burns:** _Thanks! Don't worry; there are going to be rough patches as far as the relationship goes, but there will no doubt be a happy ending for our favorite lovebirds. It will take a LONG time and a lot of pain, but they **will** end up together in the end. As much as I love the Queen's Mercy, there's virtually no part of its plot in my story._

 **Keanan765 says** : I really enjoy this story and I'm pumped for updates! I love The Queen's Mercy too! I'm excited to see how you play this all out because there's so much!

 **Burns:** _thank you! That means the world to me :) and how could you not? It's an awesome story! The fanart for it too is really cool as well. Thank you! There's probably going to be 60+ chapters in the end, as I have about 5 arcs laid out (so far, anyway)._

* * *

 _So, as always, thank you all for your love and support. I wish you all a fantastic week. Be ready to be in your fluffy feels next week!_

 _Love you guys, and I'll see you all next time! ~_ **Burns**


	10. Getting to Know You

**Usual disclaimer of not owning Frozen or Disney characters, but owning the idea of the Elementals, yadda yadda fluff alert at the end of this chapter, along with some heaviness in the home life. As always, enjoy!**

* * *

"Anna, come here," a feminine voice called out to Anna. While it spoke the Common Tongue, there was a distinct inhuman quality to it. Anna looked around, and it seemed like she was in a deep fog. In the distance, she saw a glowing light, a combination of colors. Squinting and pressing onward, she moved toward the light, as if under a spell.

"Almost there, young one," the voice said. It was then that Anna realized that the voice was all around her. It was almost impossible to describe, but she could almost _feel_ it speaking in her soul. So she moved closer to the light, not exactly knowing how to reach it but determined to do so nonetheless. Eventually, her feet found their way before the light, realizing now that it settled on a white.

"Child, I am sorry I cannot present myself in my full form as of the moment; I can scar your soul, as you are not ready yet for some things," said the light. Anna was mesmerised at it bent and wobbled as it spoke.

"Not ready…?" she asked, curious as to what the light meant.

"You will see what I mean in the future, rest assured. For now, I need you to remember this phrase: no sooner will the lines cross than the form will be complete," the light said, its luminosity beginning to dim.

"Alright… But who are you?" Anna asked the quickly fading ball.

"Why, my dear… I am Vita. And now, you must awaken," the light said, before fading completely. In the moments before waking, she was left in total darkness, the fog quickly surrounding her.

* * *

"Sven, no—!" Anna heard Kristoff yell just as she opened her eyes, only to be greeted to four giant paws to her stomach. Her eyes bulged comically out of her head, the wind being knocked out of her with an _oof!_ Sven sat by her side and wagged his tail, tongue hanging out of his mouth and a canine smile slipping across his face before leaning down and licking Anna's forehead. She wiped his slobber off of her then pet behind his ear, the ministration causing him to gallumph on her chest.

"C'mon Sven, I gotta get a shower," she grumbled, pushing him off. At the mention of the word 'shower', he zoomed off her and over to Kristoff, to which the burly man chuckled.

"See, Red? I'm not the only one!" he laughed. There was a definite heaviness in the hotel room now, a sadness trying to be shrouded by the good naturedness of all parties in the room at the time. She stretched and grabbed some towels from the stand next to her bed, making her way over to the bathroom. Steam quickly started to billow from the shower, fogging up the mirror the mirror that she was staring at herself in.

 _Fog_ …

Her mind drifted to the dream she had. The only time she had ever heard of a God or Goddess visiting someone was a Lord or Lady, not a mere common person. And to have the supreme Goddess visit her… Hm.

Remembering the fact that hot water was being wasted, she hastily undressed and slipped into the shower, letting the heat soak into her pores and soothe the aching muscles that laid beneath the surface, relaxing and rejuvenating all in the same. She began thinking about the shock that Lord de l'Eau showed, clearly disapproving of her originally. Now? Perhaps her speech convinced him otherwise… She rested her forehead against the cool tile of the shower, for once doubting her decision in leaving the Ignis Magum.

 _Well, technically, it's not leaving. It's not like you're excommunicated or anything._

Even the thought to herself did little to reassure her that leaving was okay and approved of. Anna sighed to herself, the wet, fiery locks of her hair starting to fall over her face. She pushed her bangs out of the way washed herself, little by little waking up more and more. Her legs, luckily, had been shaven yesterday, before the meeting; this was _Fiji_ , and she had no intention of wearing pants anytime soon. In fact, the only reason she had pants was because of the Habitu.

After she was finished cleaning, rinsing and drying herself, she dressed into the outfit she had packed for her final day: high waisted black shorts with gold buttons and a light green tank top with open sides, accompanied by a white bandeau. She put her hair in her signature twin braids, put on a backwards black snapback, and slipped into her black Converse before giving herself a once over one more time in the mirror. Smiling at herself, she walked out of the bathroom, where Iakob, Kristoff and Sven were all ready to go to the beach.

As soon as Anna stepped out into the open, the men's eyes shifted over to her. She smiled at them sadly, realizing this was most likely going to be their goodbye. Her eyes moved to the side, a wave of emotion overcoming her.

"Thank you," she whispered, packing as much meaning into the two words as she could. No sooner had she finished the phrase had both men given her a group hug. She felt the urge to cry, but quickly suppressed it. This was a bittersweet goodbye, they all knew that; so she decided to look at the sweet side of it. This was the turn of a page in the newest chapter in her life. She grinned at that thought, pulling back and patting them both on their shoulders.

"I'll leave the room key in here after I get back. I'll see you guys soon," she said, "and Sven, take care of Kristoff while I'm gone. Gods know he can't look out for himself."

"Hey!" Kristoff protested, whacking her arm. Iakob left ahead of them, needing to reserve the beach spot. Anna smiled one more time, walking to the door, before a thought occurred to her. She turned back around briefly.

"Kristoff, hold out your hand." His face bore one of confusion, but he did as he was told. She pressed her thumb into his palm, eyes glowing a dim teal, as she created a crocus insignia in the middle of it. The sign illuminated his palm, filling it with an almost uncomfortable feeling, before the glow disappeared along with the light from her eyes. She mimicked the action in her palm, and it felt as if something clicked into place; an unshakeable sense of _knowing_ about the other person shifted.

"Whoa," Kristoff said, marvelling at the feeling of synchronization that he felt now between the two of them, "where did you learn to do that Anna?"

"Well, it's a mixture of Calor Facit practices and Troll Magic. Basically, if you press into your palm and channel your Magical energy there, it'll resurface and alert me that something is really wrong. Same with me. Try it out now," she said. He did as he was told, and just as she said the insignia came to the surface of his palm and as with Anna. When he released his focus of energy, the insignia disappeared. Anna smiled.

"Bye, ya stinker!" she called, walking out the door, making sure to keep it open.

* * *

Agðar stared down at the bloody cloth in his hand, once more dampened by his coughing. Elsa had called him that morning, before he had gone into work, to ask of him if she could stay with him until she had saved up enough money to rent her own apartment; she had finally been inducted into the GM and he found himself proud of her despite himself. His actions had brought dishonor on their family name, he knew that, and he was happy to find that the order — while apprehensive — had accepted her in.

 _It would've been different,_ he thought, _had that bastard I'm ashamed to have called my father not —_ He stopped the thoughts in their tracks, interrupted by yet another coughing fit. He tasted the metallic tang of blood dance over his tongue, making its way deep into the material of the rag he was holding.

 _You know it's going to be difficult to hide this from Elsa when she moves back in. You might as well just find out the cause of this now, before she flies back._

His rationale told him that line of thinking was correct, but he was scared. He was a coward, afraid to find out about his own fate.

 _I wish you were here, Iðunn. You would have known what to do._ The thought of his late wife caused him to sigh in sad remembrance, wanting her back by his side. He looked over at the picture he kept on his bedside table of her, and the teddy bear that he had given her when they first started seeing each other that he tucked in in her stead.

Elsa looked so much like her mother, the only few differences being the hair color, of which she got from her grandmother, the eye color and the height. In a sense, he was happy she was coming back. He hated being alone in the mountains, and while the new dog they now had, Janders, was good company, nothing could replace a human.

 _Hopefully, the news of what is going on is not sorrowful_ , he thought, _I am not ready for Horatius yet._ He laid down and faced the teddy bear, before bringing it against him and closing his eyes tight.

 _Right?_

* * *

"Miss, are you here alone?" The tanned woman behind the counter said to Elsa. She had been thinking about texting Anna to inquire about her location, but she decided not to push it. She would be there in her own time. Elsa shook her head.

"No, my apologies. I'm currently waiting for my… friend. Do you have a table for two?" she asked the girl. Looking at her name tag, she realized it was Moana, the owner of the restaurant.

"Yep! Would it bother you if I sat you outside today?" Moana asked.

"Not at all," Elsa replied, smiling. Anna seemed like the kind of person to like the outdoors. They walked outside to a wooden table with matching benches. Moana pulled out a notepad and pencil, flipping over the top cover.

"Alright miss, what can I get for you today?" She asked, pencil at the ready.

"Just an iced mocha, cream and sugar. I'm sure my friend will want something when she gets here, so I'll wait to place my food," Elsa requested politely. Moana scribbled it all down, then closed the book with a smile.

"Okay, your coffee should be done in about three minutes." Elsa nodded at her and Moana walked away.

Elsa leaned back and rested her sunglasses atop her head, pushing her bangs back with it. It was a lovely day out, and the light blue maxi skirt and white crop top she wore made the day feel all the more calm and relaxed. The café was by the ocean, and she could feel all the energy of Water surrounding her; the sound of the waves lapping against the soft sands was relaxing, and she was sad that she would have to go soon. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of red appear. No sooner had she registered it was Anna than the person in question sat down across from her, breaking her from her reverie.

Elsa had to do a double take, making sure her contacts were adjusted correctly. Anna looked so different than the night prior, seemingly much more comfortable in her current attire than last night's. Her scar was now more visible, as more of the skin on her chest was exposed from the dip in her neckline. Realizing her eyes were trailing, she popped them back up to Anna's, blush tinting her ears.

"Hi," Elsa said, giving a small wave and a shy smile. When Anna returned her grin and wave, she felt a cage of butterflies be released in her stomach.

 _My Gods, what this girl does to me._

"Alright Miss, here's your coffee!" Moana chirped, coming back and placing the cup in front of Elsa. Noticing that Anna was now present, Moana turned to her and gave her her greetings, asking her the same question she had asked Elsa a few minutes prior.

"I'll take a hot chocolate, please. And, if you wouldn't mind, a chocolate muffin as well," Anna requested.

"And I'll take a chocolate turnover, please," Elsa pitched in, the mention of chocolate food making her stomach rumble. Moana nodded and wrote it all down.

"Alright ladies, the food should take about ten minutes, and the drink no more than two," she said. The two ladies nodded and expressed their thanks before Moana left to go inside. Elsa closed her eyes and breathed in the salt scented air, tinged from the ocean, then opened her eyes Anna.

"Let's get through the business part of this date, then actually focus on getting to know each other," she said. Anna hummed in agreement.

"So, firstly. Do you have the capacity to control both saltwater and freshwater?" Anna nodded her confirmation.

"Good. To control Ice, you need to have be able to have control both. For example, we're in a very humid environment. Therefore, when we advance enough, you should be able to do this," she said, eyes alighting with a dim glow. She drew the water in the air around her to her fingers, freezing them and pointing them to spikes. Anna's eyes grew large, watching as Elsa then disapparated the spikes into thin air. Elsa smiled, liking way that Anna seemed to marvel what she was doing.

"I'm not entirely sure how Fire Magic works, but I do know that Ice Magic not only can use one's Magical energy to bend and shift the water around them, in the process _freezing_ the water, but can also generate Ice from oneself using their energy. That's the beautiful thing about Ice: you can use your own mind to create things, or use the water around you to help you." Anna loved the way that Elsa got so animated about Ice, wanting to share her love of it as much as possible.

"Fire is somewhat similar to the whole 'generating-magic-from-oneself' idea. One of the reasons I started doing the shows that I did was because I loved using my Magic to make people smile, and widen my threshold of energy. Everyone has a limit as far as how much Magic they can expend at one time, and mastering Fire has made me control and expand with my limits. I can go for hours now without feeling tired, thanks to doing the shows," Ana responded, "And as you know, using your own energy as opposed to the Elements around you requires a lot more energy than not." Elsa nodded in agreement.

"Indeed. Before we got too off task, though, I want to discuss only a few more things." Moana then came out with Anna's hot chocolate, settling it down in front of her. She left as quickly as she came, clearly busy. Anna's eyes seemed to pop out of her head at the smell, and she bit her lip, clearly trying to force down a sound from escaping her lips. The entire scene made Elsa's stomach flip at its adorableness.

"We will be training at my father's house for a while. I… don't have any money, really, and my father offered me to stay there until I saved up enough Krones to rent a small apartment, probably on the south side of Arendelle," she explained. Elsa suddenly became self conscious of the fact that she was quite literally broke. One of the downsides to being put out on your own was the actual lack of money. Anna waved her hand dismissively.

"I'd be glad to help you out, without a doubt. I'll get a job and save up with you," she said, more statement than offer. Before Elsa could rebut her, she continued. "C'mon, Elsa. It's the least I can do for someone who is teaching me." Elsa closed her mouth then, knowing that no matter how hard she tried she was not going to convince Anna otherwise.

 _Stubborn. File that away for later._

"... Alright." There was a look in Anna's eye, one that dared her to present a challenge, but Elsa broke eye contact. She knew better than to try to change the redhead's mind, and there was a triumphant smirk that graced Anna's lips in the next second.

"Anyway, the first thing we'll be working on is simple manipulation of the cold…" she started off, telling Anna the basics of everything that they would start off by working on. Anna smiled to herself; it wasn't often that she had seen Elsa talk so freely about something as she did Ice, and she found it endearing (to say the least). Eventually, Elsa's small ramble of things she loved came to an end and their food came out. Both ladies sighed in delight at the delicious food presented to them, and proceeded to giggle at the other's ministrations.

As Anna dug right in, Elsa eloquently began to eat her turnover.

"So, Anna. The first time we went out, little things were talked about. I'd like to get to know more of the deeper things, if you wouldn't mind. Your background, family, etc.," Elsa said, "and if you'd like to know anything about me, feel more than welcome to ask." Tonna had done this with her as well; it established a sense of trust between pupil and mentor, one that was well needed in this time of strife between Fire and Water.

"Okay. Well, I'll start with my family, I suppose. You know the legend of the Trolls, put on Earth as a gift from Plinius when the Order was still the Children?" she asked. Elsa nodded, uncertain of where this conversation was going.

"Well, when I was four, they took me in and raised me as their own. Grand Pabbie and Bulda — the two eldest Trolls — were the main parental figures in my life, and encouraged me to do wonderful things, amazing things. My adoptive older brother, Kristoff, has always been there for me. He's my best friend, my confidant, the person I go to in my times of need," she said, unconsciously swiping her thumb over her palm, "they had taken in Kristoff from birth, and he was about six years old when the Trolls found me. All Kristoff knows is that his mother's name was Siv Bjorgman, and she died during childbirth. The Trolls said that she had found them when she went into labor, getting a glimpse of Kristoff right before she died. He was born an underweight baby, oddly enough, the damn big oaf he is.

"But anyway, I'm rambling and getting off topic. I've gotten down all the ways of Fire, and if I really wanted to, could be the next Ignis Magum after Lady Sydalnnar resigns or passes. But I have a capacity for Water, too, and can master all of it as well," she explained. Elsa nodded, taking in her long speech before realizing a missing detail to the family aspect of Anna's talk.

"Wait, Anna. You said that the Trolls took you in at the age of four. What about the four years prior?" Elsa asked. Anna's eyes shifted as she took a bite of her muffin, her left hand coming up to lightly touch her scar.

"My parents and I lived in the city of Corona for a while. You know, the one in Norway? But when I was four, we had gone on a trip in the woods by the Valley of the Hidden Rock… we got attacked, and my parents died," she said flatly, "That's where I got the scar, actually. They were after me, I think. My parents had obviously tried to protect me, but the men were much stronger than them. My parents had put up a fight, and a damn good one. But they eventually were taken down, and the men tried to kill me next. The one had a massive sword, and almost sliced me through. He somehow got pulled back, even though the tip of his sword still managed to slice my chest, he and all the other men were knocked unconscious. I soon fell down next to them, the gash bleeding pretty heavily. Next thing I knew, I woke up with bandages all over my torso with the Trolls." Anna frowned deeply, not liking the resurfacing of old memories. She still had nightmares about that day.

Noticing the look she had, Elsa reached her hand across the table and took Anna's in hers, only thinking of comfort. She ran her thumb over the tanned knuckles of the redhead in front of her, giving her silent support and secretly loving how warm the redhead was. Anna reached her eyes, and Elsa gave her a gentle smile and warm look, one that said that it was okay. Anna took a deep breath and squeezed her hand.

"Thank you," she said, "I don't usually like to tell people about that. Not even many of my mentors know, set aside you and Iakob. It feels good to talk about it to someone my age." Elsa nodded her understanding. Anna reluctantly pulled her hand away and took a bite of her muffin again, getting a little bit of chocolate on her cheek. Elsa brought her hand up to her mouth and chuckled at Anna's messy eating, glad the mood was lightening.

"What, do I have something on my face?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at Elsa's laughter. Anna raised her thumb and started stroking around her face.

"Indeed, you do. On your cheek. Over, over more…. Hold on." As she was about to lick her thumb to just get it off, Anna's nose crinkled in disgust.

"Oh hell no. You are not wiping that nastiness on me," she said. Elsa just laughed again, before reaching her thumb in front of Anna's lips.

"Fine. What if it's your nastiness?" she asked, a playful lilt to her voice. Anna's ears turned red, but she gave the blonde's thumb a quick lick, jerking her head back a little at the contrast of her cold thumb to her hot tongue. Elsa seemed surprised too, blinking a few times before wiping away the chocolate on Anna's cheek.

She supposed she should have expected it; Anna _radiated_ warmth. Being of Fire, Elsa felt she shouldn't be surprised by that fact. Taking a sip of her iced coffee, she retracted her hand settled her hands in her lap.

"So, anyway. Any questions for me?" she asked.

"Is it just your dad?" asked Anna. She never had been one for being tact, settling for getting straight to the point instead.

"Yes; my mother died when I was very young, hardly even a year. Tonna has served as my pseudo-mother since I was eleven. My dad is the only immediate family I have left, though; my grandfather passed away in the same year my mother did, and my grandmother passed away when I was five. I didn't really know many people on my mother's side," she said.

 _Does she really not know the story? It's practically famous by now._

Of course, Anna had heard of something regarding the Isånd family, but they were just rumors that varied from tale to tale. She would ask eventually about it, but she decided that now most likely wasn't the best time. She didn't want to push any boundaries that she wasn't sure of yet. Going for a lighter approach, she decided to ask a question that had been irking her since the first time they had met.

"Alright, and perhaps more importantly… What in the world made you choose dark chocolate over milk?!"

* * *

 **A/N:** _WoOoOoOoOo finally! Some quality fluff after a lot of plot and angst. Word from the wise: look at Elsanna comics when you are lacking motivation. It helps man! You know what else helps? Reviews! Please drop a comment guys; if I see what you like and don't like, it really helps me out and motivates me. I know I sound like a broken record, but if I don't get a response, it kind of makes me feel like I put all this work into a chapter and the planning without getting a positive or negative response. Critiques are always welcome, as long as it's not angry hate. Any small thing to improve my writing goes a long way, trust me. Speculations are welcome too, I have no problem answering them. Thank you all once again!_

 **And now, for the review! (thank you to everyone who followed, favorited and commented this past week. You kick ass!)**

 **Strasza says:** This is an amazing chapter, and I have an idea of what to call the "X Wielders", current name I'm giving them as that's the only discernible trait that they all have in common. Since they seem to be a large organized group trying to take down the Magi, I think their name should be "The First Order", that's just my thoughts though, you might have a different direction you want to take this

 **Burns:** _1\. Thank you so much! I could not wait to post last chapter; I worked really hard on the story with Rörik. 2. Ah, you are quite perceptive; but trust me, there is much more to learn about this group. There's a story and a name that will be given to the X-Wielders, but a pseudonym will be given by the Order for now, probably when enough sufficient evidence is provided by those who are captured… Oh my god I should have called them the X-Men. Missed opportunity, damn it! Anyway, I have the entire story laid out so I already know the direction I want to take this. Thank you for the suggestion though!_

* * *

 _As always, thank you for choosing to read my story in your time. I'll see you all next time!_ ~ **Burns**


	11. Moving Forward

**Usual disclaimer.** _Hey guys. This past week, a huge musical figure has died: Chester Bennington, of Linkin Park. I'd like to dedicate this chapter to him._

 _Fluffy fluff at the end of this. I don't really have much to say here... That said, as always: Enjoy!_

* * *

At the end of the meal (which both women _thoroughly_ enjoyed), Elsa had given Anna her address and a kind hug, wishing her safe travels. Though she was excited to have seen Anna, she was still quite nervous for the time where she asked about her mother. She had next to no recollection of her, but she knew how she died. And she did _not_ want to repeat that story to Anna. She could see it in her eyes, the fact that she had wanted to ask. But she wasn't ready, not yet.

 _Will I ever?_

The thought sprung upon her suddenly, but perhaps not unexpectedly. She knew that the process of trusting Anna was going to be long, as it was with Tonna. But, yet again, she had this _feeling_ about her that made her smile, something that made Anna easy to trust. The fact that she had shared the story of her late parents and her scar was not something that Elsa took lightly, no matter how to-terms Anna was with the whole thing. The tale of how you watched your parents be slaughtered in front you was not something that could have been easy to share, and the fact that she had shared it with Elsa was greatly appreciated. Elsa sighed inwardly, agitated that she wasn't ready to do the same back for Anna yet.

As she approached her room in the hotel, it hit her that last night was the last one that she was dependent, not on her own. Tonna would drive her to the airport today, she would fly back to Arendelle Airport, and then be on her own as mentor. Well, not entirely on her own; she had her father, but only for so long. Once she had enough money saved, she would leave for Arendelle.

And with that, she entered her hotel room, packed her things and she and Tonna went. The drive over wasn't sad, but more so planning; planning for the future, for mentoring, the path and pace that she should take with Anna. And, of course, talk of how the coffee date went. Elsa told it how it was: fantastic. While the first date at Geilo was great, it was superficial; this time, they went deeper, discussing their experiences with Magic, their general take on the whole Ignis Magum versus Aqua Magus situation, and their opposing views on chocolate.

Tonna and Elsa had a laugh at that one. Elsa sobered up soon, though, knowing that she wanted to discuss the dilemma that had her questioning about what to do with the eventual question of Elsa's mother, in addition to the possible code of conduct between mentor and pupil.

"Tonna?" Elsa asked, face pensive. Tonna then knew something was wrong.

"Yes, dear?" she responded, awaiting the reasoning. Elsa took a deep breath, then began to discuss the persistent thoughts that kept running through her head.

"Uhm, is there some sort of rule book as to the conduct between mentor and pupil? I just, uh, need to know in case I need to cut the whole potential… more than platonic thing off between Anna and I," she asked, face turning redder and redder as time went on. Tonna chuckled and shook her head.

"Luckily for you, there happens to be no such, ah... rulebook. Just as long as it doesn't inhibit the rigor that you teach Anna at, I don't think there should be a problem with it." Elsa sighed out in relief, happy that there was a chance for she and Anna. One of the things that she had been questioning for a while was the big 'what-if'? Now, a rare sense of optimism shone through, something she hardly allowed; she usually settled for pragmatism and realism.

Once again, she found herself going way ahead of the current state that she and Anna were in.

 _Just. Friends. That's all you are right now. Even if the way she blows her bangs out of her face while making that adorable pouty face makes you blush, or even if you find her incredibly attractive, all you are right now are just. Friends._

The thought made her woeful, despite herself. Regardless, the next subject to be broached was a tough one.

"Tonna… what if she asks about Mom?" the question hung in the air, the sound of the radio the only thing to be heard in the moment. Tonna thought about how to answer this question, knowing that it was a very touchy subject for her former pupil.

"Well, do you think you'll be able to answer her?" came Tonna's reply. Elsa's eyebrows rose, not even sure herself if the answer was yes.

"I don't know," she said softly, almost drowned out by the sound of an airplane leaving the airport.

 _Wait, we're here?_ She hadn't realized they had pulled into the parking lot until she looked around, seeing the sign for the Fijian airport. She and Tonna got out of the black rental and to take out Elsa's bags, starting to roll them toward the door. The Lady thought about her response carefully before answering.

"Then she'll have to gain your trust; it's not just her that has to do the work though, Elsa. She might have to work for your trust, but you have to be willing to give it to her." Elsa let that statement sink in, realizing that it wouldn't just be a one sided process.

 _We both will have to work; she to get, me to give. What a journey this will be…_

The small airport was nearly empty, and Elsa's plane had pulled in about fifteen minutes ago. They immediately went over to Gate A, waiting for flight 1131 to be ready for boarding. The pair sat down, waiting for the instructions to board the plane to commence. Elsa clutched her plane ticket with trembling fingers, her pupils beginning to dilate and leg starting to bounce.

"Elsa?" Tonna called gently, feeling the air temperature slowly but surely begin to drop around them.

" _Liten rev,_ " Tonna said, more loudly. She placed her hand on Elsa's shoulder, startling the younger woman. She could see fear and anxiety churning in her eyes, unsure of where this all came from. Her questioning and concerned look spoke for her, however, when Elsa let out a shaky breath and explained.

"I'm scared, Tonna," she said, "scared for myself, for my father, for Anna. Scared that I won't be able to answer Anna. Scared that my dad won't approve of her because of her heritage. Scared that Anna will ask, and run when she knows." Her eyes glassed over.

"I'm scared that I'll have to be alone," she whispered. Tonna pulled her into a fierce hug.

"It's okay, Elsa. It is. You will be okay, and you'll always have me if nothing else," Tonna reassured her. Elsa nodded into her shoulder feeling more calm as time began to pass.

"Flight 1131, now boarding," the announcer echoed throughout the airport. Elsa gave Tonna a shaky smile, one last hug, and a wave goodbye as she boarded, looking back once more. Her former mentor smiled and nodded, and she turned forward, finding her seat on the plane as the door to the airplane closed behind her.

* * *

"Y-your Majesties, p-please spare me! I told you everything I know," the man in front of them pleaded, begging for his life. One of the two hooded black figures crouched down in front of him.

"Ah, unfortunately for you… What you know isn't enough Dirk. The Petra Auditor has much more to it than what you've told us, so you're now useless," a familiar voice said to the man named Dirk.

"Th-that can't be… M-Miles?" Dirk asked. He was _very_ lucky that none of the other men were in here, otherwise his death would have been much longer and _much_ more painful than the swift death they were going to deliver him. Dirk was answered by a very powerful punch to the ribs, causing him to cough up some blood.

"That's _Your Majesty_ , udskuk!" He roared, rearing back his fist for another punch.

"Laoch. That's enough. We need his body for later," a not-so-familiar-voice commanded.

"Y-yes, Rí, I understand," Laoch responded, lowering his fist immediately.

"And while he frustrates you, please. Let me do the honors of ending him; you're always so sloppy when you kill," Rí chastised. The process required medical precision, and Laoch had come close to being off his target more often than not. Laoch, of course, conceded and moved to the side.

"Farewell, _Bror,_ " Rí said smugly, pulling out a very thin, circular blade from his long sleeve. His eyes glowed red from underneath his hood, the only thing visible of his face, different from the glow of regular Magic. He stabbed the blade through Dirk's glabella, resulting in immediate death and causing him to collapse. Once he was sure that the blade was lodged far enough in his to stay there firmly, he nodded to Laoch.

"Call the men in to take him to the inspection room. I'll deal with him in a bit and prep him. Make sure to have a cryogenic chamber ready too, I want to keep this one for further uses," Rí instructed, "now, I'm going to grab a bite to eat. I'll see you in an hour."

 _This was a successful day_. They had accomplished much with the captured today, and Dirk was a special treat after so long. He always had gotten on Rí's nerves, as well Laoch's; another persistent thorn in the side, eradicated. The satisfaction he felt upon saying that was quite nice; he hadn't killed in forever, and was becoming cranky from not satisfying his blood thirst in such a long time. He smiled to himself.

 _Soon, Father. Soon._

* * *

"It… came back positive, sir. I am so sorry ab…" The doctor's voice faded from his ears as he swallowed the news.

Agðar knew that he couldn't tell Elsa. She needed him, and he needed her just as equally. He wanted to see her happy, and knew that finding out about this was not going to boost her mood or overall happiness at all.

"... ldn't have to go through finding out about Lung Cancer alone. Do you have someone you can call for help, or some support perhaps? Cancer is a scary beast to fight, but there are multiple treatments: chemotherapy, for starters, would probably be the best course of action. Radiation therapy could also work, if you wanted to try that," the doctor said.

"I don't want to call anybody. I'll think about the therapy, thank you," Agðar said curtly, getting and grabbing his coat off the back of the chair. He shrugged it onto his shoulders, jaw locked.

"Take this pamphlet and call the number if you would like to try any of the options and more that I just stated. Once again, Mr. Isånd, I am _so_ sor-"

"Don't say it again. I got it the first time."

And with that, he walked out the door, heading for home, stopping every once and awhile to cough up blood on to yet another ruined cloth.

* * *

Anna pulled up to the address that Elsa had given her, the beautiful cabin looking as though it had been built by hand. Maybe it _had_ been built by hand. Realizing her thoughts were drifting, she went up to knock on the front door and found herself hesitating. It was oddly quiet, even for a secluded mountain house, and she felt like she was being watched. Maybe it was just the denseness of the trees? Regardless, she eventually knocked out a rhythm of _tap tap ta-tap tap_.

When no one answered, she opened the door to find the most beautiful inside she could have thought of. There was a staircase to her left, leading up to what looked like a loft area; there looked to be a few beds up there and a bedroom, along with a bathroom that was visible. As she walked more inside, she noticed a small TV and table to her right, with a couch and two chairs, one being a recliner and the other being normal. The whole area was open, no walls separating said parts.

"Anna?" she heard, head whipping over to the familiar voice. Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head at the sight before her.

Elsa.

In _just_ a towel.

Hair down.

 _Dripping wet._

Anna nearly died and went to the Cael right then.

Realizing she was ogling, she found the decency in her to blush and look away, sitting down before her legs could give out on her. She ran a hand through her bangs and stared a hole through the TV, though nothing was on.

"Uh, I'm gonna go get dressed," she heard Elsa's equally as flustered voice say. She heard quick footsteps patter and turn into the room that she spotted upstairs.

She pressed a hand to her face and tried her best to channel the cold that Elsa had been telling her about into her palms but failing, only creating a lukewarm blast of Magic hit her face, which did absolutely nothing to help her in this case. Elsa came out and walked down the stairs, dressed in leggings and a warm grey sweater, glasses donned as well. Her hair was still down, but brushed and dried, quite unlike before.

"S-sorry about that whole… thing," Elsa said, apologizing lamely. Anna gave out a quick and nervous chuckle.

"Nah, it's alright, don't stress it. You had no way of knowing I was here. I get it," she replied quickly, ears reddening full force again. She looked over at Elsa and realized that her hair wasn't in its usual braid. Before she could stop herself, she asked.

"Do you want me to braid your hair?" Elsa's eyebrows spiked up.

 _You idiot! She's going to obviously say no._

"That… would be nice, actually," Elsa replied, shifting her eyes and biting her lip.

 _What._ Out of sheer and utter disbelief, Anna started doing what she always did when she was nervous.

She began to ramble.

"Oh, wow, I was totally expecting you to say no! Not that I wanted you to say no, that's not what I'm meaning t-to say. What I meant for that to come out as was that I was surprised that you'd let me touch your gorgeous hair, I mean it's— wait what? Gorgeous? That's so weird, I'm so weird, forgive me for that. Wait, I'm rambling, aren't I? Ugh, of course I am. I'm so sorry that I'm rambling and now I'm gonna shut up before I dig myself a deeper grave," she said, each word coming out a mile a minute. Her cheeks were glowing by the end of mini-speech, and there was a brief moment of silence.

And then, Elsa started laughing. Not her usual 'hiding-behind-my-hand' giggle; she started full out belly laughing, clutching her sides as she fell back on the sofa and let it ring and echo throughout the cabin. This was from-the-gut, real, genuine laughter. Anna found herself smiling and joining in on the laughter as well, cackling and snorting from how hard she was now giggling. Soon enough, the pair had tears tracking down their cheeks.

Anna knew, then and there, that she had made the right decision to move on from the Ignis Magum.

 _Mama, Papa... I'm gonna make you proud. And this girl is the next step to doing so._

* * *

 **A/N:** _Hey guys... a lot of stuff happening this chapter, right? Make sure you pay special attention to this chapter in the future; the things that were put in this chapter will be explained later on. Glasses!Elsa makes me really happy, so let me live my fangirl life. Unfortunately, I'm going to be in North Carolina next week on vacation, so there will be no update next week :( well, unless I can do this from my phone. Then there will be. Anyway, I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter. _

**And now for the reviews! (thanks to everyone that followed, favorited and commented on my story this week. You all kick ass!)**

 **Strasza** : Another wonderful chapter, well done. It's just a shame that this story isn't getting enough praise for how high the quality is, and I like the interesting backstory Anna got. However, I feel as if that guy with the sword will be important to the plot later on. Who knows, maybe he has some connections to the X-Wielders. I smell a war brewing, and it'll be awesome

 **Burns:** _Ah, thank you! You have no idea how much that means to me :) seriously, I was smiling like a goon the entire time I read that. And thanks, I was heavily debating for a while as to if I should make the Trolls humans or like the canon, and I'm glad the result turned out well. And hm, we'll see…_

 **Strasza, pt. 2:** Strasza here, I would like to review this with my account, but I can't review the same chapter twice. I wanted to add a little more to my last review, by saint that I have a feeling that Elsa's grandad has something to do with Anna's backstory, and if that's true, I would love for her and Elsa to get revenge on the man who made Anna's childhood miserable,

 **Burns:** _It's cool! Elsa's grandfather has a lot to do with the fourth story arc, as do many more people that will be revealed at a later date. Don't worry, man. Someone has to pay their dues eventually…_

( _This review was on ch. 9)_ **izobelle:** i find it irritating that Tonna slapped Elsa. i get her logic but a slap seems degrading somehow. anyway, this kinda feels like avatar where Anna is the avatar controlling all four elements of sorts. been interesting so far.

 **Burns:** 1\. _Yeah, I feel you on that. One of the reasons I created Tonna was to be a foil to Anna; Anna is firey, awkward, brash, to the point, but with a side of care and intuition, which I showed last chapter toward the end. The reverse is with Tonna; Tonna is calm, collected, cool, understanding, but even she loses her cool, shown in ch. 9. There were a few reasons for the slap, one is to show the obvious anger that Tonna was feeling; but the second, underlying reason is that she actually views Elsa as an adult now. It's odd to think of it in such a manner, and yes, it might even seem derogatory, but if she didn't think that Elsa would get over as an adult would it she wouldn't have done it in the first place._ 2\. _Yeah, I suppose you could view it like that! Element bending is the only similarity that both have though, really. Thank you so much!_

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 _Thank you all for reading my story in your spare time. I'll see you guys next time! ~_ **Burns**


	12. Training

**Usual disclaimer.** _Okay, so an insight on my writing process: I plan out the general idea of each Arc, go down specifically about how many parts I want each Arc to have, write down the hit points I want in each part, then write a chapter. So, I've come to a bit of a... dilemma, if you will. **Should I include smut in this story?** I want to leave this one up to you guys, so let me know in the reviews. If you're reading this story anonymously, **I have guest commenting on, and am very opening to being PM'd**! Feel free to drop your thoughts in the reviews._

 **Important info: For my convenience as a student and writer, I have decided to move my updates to Sundays as opposed to Wednesdays. **

_Anyway, that set aside... Enjoy!_

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Sunlight filtered through the curtains of the window, falling onto a plush bed covered by green sheets before landing upon a crazy, thick mane of red hair, making it shine copperesque in the light. A gentle snoring came from the body the mop belonged to, one hand underneath her pillow and the other curled against her chest.

"Papa… swor… Mama… man…," she murmured, starting to toss and turn more as time went on. Her face garnered a scowl soon, turning to a pleading and frightened expression in the next moments.

"Papa… Mama… _No!"_ Anna screamed, shooting bolt upright and clutching her heart, the organ beating mercilessly against her ribcage. She breathed heavily, head swiveling around at the scene before her. Realizing she was safe, she laid back down and let out a shaky breath.

She turned and snuggled a pillow against her midsection, her sleep restless again and needing a form of comfort. Her nightmares had returned with a vengeance; the man with the sword and her parents' scream as he sliced them through returning to her and looping in her slumber.

Once she felt good enough, safe enough, she got out of bed and slipped on a green Rome hoodie and grey sweatpants, the Norwegian mountains being significantly more chilly than Fiji had been. She stretched, realizing the time of day as she looked over at the clock. It was eleven in the morning! Though mornings never were her thing, she rarely woke up past nine thirty.

 _If only I could tame this mane…_ Immediately, she set to work. She brushed her crazy mop of red hair, soon in her signature twin braids. Rubbing her face, she opened the door and walked down the small hallway into the kitchen and dining area. On the counter laid a note, written in neat print.

 **Anna: there is cereal in the cabinet next to the sink, milk in the fridge, bowls in the cabinet above the stove, and spoons in the drawer in front of where I put the note. When you're done eating, meet me at the bottom of the hill. I'll see you soon, Elsa**

Anna's stomach grumbled at the mention of food, and she followed the instructions of Elsa. To her delight, she found chocolate Cheerios. Seeing that there was enough for one bowl, she knew that Elsa had eaten the same thing this morning as well, the observation causing her to smile. After she finished and washed her eating ware, she slipped on her Converse and trekked down to the bottom of the hill, noticing a little shack.

 _Is that the sound of a… Marimba?_ Confused, she continued down the path, realizing that she heard Elsa singing quietly, words currently indistinguishable. The closer she got, the more she realized that the sound was, indeed, a marimba. Anna walked down to the front door of the shack and opened it as quietly as she could. When she opened the door, she realized that Elsa was not alone, accompanied by a snowman on the marimba.

 _Wait, what the hell?_

A _live_ snowman? Elsa could create life as well? The thought hit her suddenly, but she broke out of her stupor when she registered the fact that Elsa was dancing with a face relaxed and smiling, eyes closed. And Elsa was dancing _horribly_. For all of her talents, Anna never would have guessed that her mentor would be so bad at something so generally simple as swaying side to side. She began to chuckle, a noise not missed by the resident snowman.

"Hey Elsa, who's your friend? She's pretty! Oooo, is she your girlfriend?" Elsa's eyes snapped open and she nearly tripped, displaying a clumsiness she almost never showed. She coughed loudly, putting her hand on the wall for support.

"Hey, Anna. Meet Olaf," she said, face ablaze a rather interesting shade of red. Vermillion, maybe? Anna snickered loudly, looking down to wave at Olaf.

"Hi Olaf. I'm Elsa's friend, Anna; now, I suppose I'd be known as her student," she chuckled, introducing herself to the small snowman. Getting down on his level, she held out her hand, expecting a handshake to the best of his ability. Instead, he leapt into her arms. She was thrown off balance by his action and was even more surprised to find that he didn't wet her, despite the flurry cloud above his head.

"I love warm hugs! And boy, you're like a mini toaster," he exclaimed, before realizing that steam was coming from between them from how warm she actually was. One of the many benefits of learning from the Calor Facit was that she now learned how to have a perpetually warm body using hardly any energy. It was a survival trait that she would not take for granted. She awkwardly patted Olaf's back and looked to Elsa for help, the steam making her face sweat.

"Alright Olaf, I think that she's had enough of a hug. I'm sure she's warm, but you're steaming," Elsa said, prying Olaf off of her. Anna stood up, wiping the sweat off of her face.

"Ellllsaaa, she's warm! You like warm things too, why don't you hug her?" Elsa blushed prettily once more, making brief eye contact with Anna before smiling sheepishly at Olaf.

"Sorry buddy, no can do. I'm sure she is warm, but humans aren't like snowmen; we don't just give random hugs," she explained. With a wave of her hand she made the marimba disappear, giving a flurry of snow that sent Olaf out of the shack. She made sure the door shut behind the flurry. Anna watched it go by, smiling as the door clicked shut. The awkward cough in front of her made her look over at Elsa, whose ears were scarlet. Anna wondered quietly to herself if that much blood to her head would have made her dizzy by now, but she didn't question it.

"Well, he was quite a character," Anna said, grinning toothily. Elsa's eyes shifted up toward the ceiling, seemingly saying a quiet prayer to the Gods before looking back at Anna.

"Indeed, he is… I apologize for his forwardness, and what he said. I realize that that was, to say the least, inappropriate," she said, awkwardly chuckling. Anna waved her hand dismissively.

"Ah, don't worry about it. I liked him; he's like a little kid. He makes me laugh, aside from the fact that he literally steamed because of my hand," she said, brushing off the encounter, "No worries." Elsa sighed out a breath of relief at the statement, before taking a deep breath and giving a small smile.

"Good; I think we should begin our training, though," she said. Anna nodded, sobering up immediately. She took off her sweatshirt and revealed the workout tanktop that she normally wore while training. Elsa's blush was not missed by her, a knowing smirk crossing Anna's face.

"Anna, I need to ask you. Are you _absolutely_ positive you want to start in a new element? This is probably going to be the most strenuous thing you've done, especially because of how different our elements are," she asked, wanting Anna to think this through again. Instead, she was met with a determined nod.

"Absolutely," Anna said resolutely.

"Are we gonna do some PT first?" Anna asked, a valid question that Elsa had forgot in her regiment for her pupil. She blinked, remembering that it was a very important part of training in general.

"Yeah, of course," she said, scouring her mind for things to do. Anna regarded her curiously.

"So… what first, then?" she asked her, awaiting Elsa's response. When Elsa failed to respond for a few moments, she grinned widely, realizing that she had forgotten to work that into their schedule.

"Ah. You forgot, didn't you?" She asked, not even trying to mask the mirth in her voice. Elsa's eyebrows came together in the most adorable frown that Anna had ever seen.

"No! I was just thinking about what to start with," she retorted, lips coming together in a firm line.

"So…?" Anna asked, awaiting Elsa's nonexistent orders to fall upon her ears.

"... Alright, I might have forgotten," she conceded, "But I'm going to work you hard tomorrow, don't you worry." Anna gave a mischievous look, smirking slightly.

"Well, I sure do hope so. I do love to work up a sweat before training, you know," she said, devious smile crossing her face at the obvious innuendo. Elsa's eyes widened at the statement, eyes shooting up into her hairline as Anna cackled at her flushed cheeks.

"I'm only playing, Elsa. So what are we going to work on first?" she asked. Elsa cleared her throat, grabbing a bucket of water that Anna hadn't noticed before. Anna was enjoying the hell out of this; seeing Elsa so awkward was hilarious to her, the poise and grace she held gone in this shack.

"Simple manipulation of the cold. The temperature of the water in this bucket is about eighty five degrees. I want you to get it down to forty five. If you can't today, that's fine, we'll work on it tomorrow too; but this is the most important part of the Glaciem Magistri. If you can't make things cold, especially Water, then there's no point. We're probably not going to work on cooling things for a while until you get this down," she explained, "Water energy comes from a different part of your body than Fire, if I'm not mistaken?" Anna nodded, tapping her hand against her stomach.

"Fire's energy is drawn from the belly, yes. Where is Water's located?" she asked. Elsa put her hand over her heart, feeling the thrumming of life there and smiling.

"From the heart. Water is the lifeblood of all things, human and nonhuman. It makes things thrum with life and power, and the heart is what distributes it throughout the body. So when you try to channel your energy, try your best to focus on feeling the life within your veins pump from your heart, and channel that energy into your hands. Temperature manipulation lies within that, too; you know how to make things hot, now learn how to make things cold. Like a thermostat, I suppose." Anna nodded, taking in what her mentor had just said.

"Try to feel the Water's energy. It can provide you with a great boost, since your threshold for Water energy is quite small right now," Elsa finished.

Anna closed her eyes and breathed deeply, putting her hand in the bucket. She focused on the pulse of her veins, the life her heart gave her, and tried to channel that energy into her submerged hand. The water was warm, and she focused on making her hand the same temperature as the water in general. Slowly but surely, she felt her hand start to cool down to the temperature of the water, and soon it felt like she had her hand submerged in something that was the same temperature as her body. The process took a lot out of her, and she began to feel drained.

 _Don't give up yet._

Steeling herself and continuing onward, she attempted dropping the temperature of Water now, trying to channel the energy of it within herself to make it a few degrees colder. She opened her eyes slightly, looking at the thermometer in the water. Anna saw it drop about ten degrees, soon fifteen, but stopping at about 67 degrees. She stopped the flow of energy and sat against the wall immediately behind her, spent from trying to lower it anymore. This frustrated her, as most things from Fire came easily. This new way of trying to channel Magic was proving to be tough, and she knew this was something she was going to work very hard at. She closed her eyes and breathed, head on her chest as she tried to regain some of the strength she had prior.

Her eyes snapped open when she felt two cool fingers under her chin tilt her head up. She was greeted with the sight of Elsa, who was practically beaming.

"Hey," she said, "you did awesome! I wasn't expecting you to be able to drop it ten degrees, let alone almost twenty. How are you feeling? That must have expended a lot of your strength." Elsa's chilled hand went to Anna's cheeks, searching her face for any sign of overexertion. Her hand felt nice against her face, and she sighed at the touch.

"Fine… that feels really good," she murmured. Noticing Elsa's confused face, she continued tiredly. "Your hand, I mean."

"O-oh," came Elsa's reply, "Uhm, here." Anna felt a cool blast of air hit her face before the feeling of Elsa's hand stayed stationary, even though she retracted the physical one. As Elsa tried to help her up, Anna waved her off.

"It's fine, Els, really. I'm not that out of sorts," she said, pushing herself onto her feet. Even though she did feel a bit woozy, she remained upright, refusing to show weakness right now. She collected her sweatshirt and went up the hill with Elsa, looking around for any sign of Olaf after realizing that he wasn't with them. Shrugging it off and figuring he would find his way back, she realized it was hardly twelve noon. Appalled at the little she had gotten done that day, she wanted to go back later and try it again, hoping some rest and a good meal would replenish her reserve. She knew that this would be one of the cases where practice made perfect, and she wanted to get as much of it as she could.

Coming back to reality, she noticed that they had reached the top of the hill and had yet to meet Mr. Isånd. Elsa said that he had to do something in Arendelle yesterday and would be spending the night there, and then had work the following morning; therefore, he wouldn't be home until much later.

"Anna? Did you hear me?" said Elsa, looking expectant to Anna for an answer. The redhead coughed awkwardly, zoning out yet again as she normally did.

"No, apologies," Anna replied, a sheepish smile cracked her face despite herself. Elsa chuckled, letting Anna know she accepted.

"I was asking what you wanted to have for lunch." Anna thought for a second, quickly coming to her conclusion as they walked up the to the front door.

"Do you have pancake mix? And if so, how about some chocolate chips?" she asked. Elsa nodded.

"Well then," Anna began, grabbing a mixing bowl from the same cabinet as this morning and donning a devious grin, "I know _exactly_ what to have."

* * *

"Gita, there is little I can tell you on the matter. I am sorry I cannot help you more, but we ourselves are doubtful of what exactly is going on," Vita said to Gita, exposing her full form in a dream. Her bronzed skin body sat cross legged from Gita, clad in a humble white robe. Her golden eyes shifted quickly to the left of Gita's head, realizing that another God had entered the space.

"Welcome, Brother. Any news?" the supreme Goddess asked. Gita stood up immediately and faced whom she now realized was Horatius. Kneeling, she awaited his order to sit.

"Ah, welcome Gita," he said, "at ease." She sat back down, just as eager to hear what he had to say. He locked eyes with Vita and soon her face bore a forlorn expression.

"I cannot tell you much, Gita. All I can tell you is this: they rise."

And with that, Gita awoke in a cold sweat.

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 **A/N:** _So, yeah. Dun dun dun... So many questions that need answering, am I right? I wonder where this will lead... Remember to leave comments on the whole smut thing. I think, particular to this story, it's a good idea; and I at this point can easily interweave it into the plot. But, my faithful readers, I'll leave this decision up to you._

 **And now, for the reviews! (Thank you to everyone who favorited, followed, commented and PM'd me this past week. Y'all kick ass!)**

 **Strasza:** This is a terrific chapter. So much so, because we finally see Elsa want to open up to Anna, but is unsure how. As for the rest of the info in chapter, I'm wanting to keep that a surprise for when it happens. Great job as always, looking forward to the next chapters

 **Burns:** _As always, that is vastly appreciated. Indeed! This will be a process for Elsa, but who knows… perhaps she will trust Anna, but at what moment? Also, when I said that the info will be explained later, I meant intermingled in the story. Thank you!_

 **Keanan765** : Wow a lot of good development in this chapter way to go! I'm very curious about this Rì fellow and I'm curious to see where you're going with his story. It's all meshing together quite well great job!

 **Burns:** _Thank you! I'm glad the pacing is going well. Everything will be tied up; now that I'm looking at the rate that I include plot elements, I'm feeling more of a 70+ chapter story. Rí's character is an interesting one, for sure. All of the stories are somehow tied in with one another, be it one way or another..._

 **The Myth Rider:** The world you built in this story reminds me of both one of my favorite books, and one of my favorite tv shows. As such, you have my attention, and I very much look forward to seeing how you go from here.

 **Burns:** _Thank you so much for that. I am no novelist, but I wholly appreciate the fact that one can draw similarities between a published book and my story. I hope you stay along for the journey!_

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 _Alright guys, I'll see you all next time!_ ~ **Burns**


	13. Progressions

**Usual disclaimer.** _So, I feel like I should let you all know this now: I'm going to be going into band camp tomorrow, so I might be a bit unavailable for some time. I also would like to give you guys one more chapter to decide upon the smut thing, since I only got one response (thanks Strasza!). As always, enjoy the chapter!_

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"Gita, we have rebels now in the Terra Magus now. Same X's as before. I've a feeling that soon we will have people in other lines as well beginning to rebel, if the trend that has been being followed persists," Pocahontas told her friend. Gita sighed, the words of Horatius from her dream a few days ago resonating in her mind.

Is this what he meant by 'They rise'? A new uprising, a new Line? She was so uncertain as to what was causing all of these rebellions; there had been a period of peace now for several years, animosity taking a break for once. She was an Ultimum Maleficus that favored peace, having been raised upon such roots that valued kindness and peace as opposed two generations of Ultimum Malefici ago, under the leadership of Lord Ja'far Thueban, great uncle to Yusraa and Princess Jasmine. He was a crooked man, bribing and intimidating in order to be elected into his spot instead of Lord Walter Disney, who later became the Ultimum Maleficus after Ja'far was killed for his crimes.

Regardless, the very real and very possible threat of a new enemy was arising, and it agitated Gita that she may have to resort to something along the lines of violence in order to solve the problem. They had gotten no headway with those they had captured before, and thus had no name for the groups that were beginning to stir up trouble all over.

"Poca, we need to address the groups as something, at least until we find out more about them. Any ideas?" Gita asked. Pocahontas thought for a second, then an idea seemingly came to her.

"Well, the only thing all of them have in common, according to reports, is that they all have X's on their left arms. That's curious, don't you think?" Pocahontas asked, almost to herself. "Well, either way. What about the X-Rebels? That's about the only thing I can come up with, considering our minimal information on them." Gita nodded.

"We should send out a memo, just to assure everyone stay safe," Gita started, "these X-Rebels are dangerous; let us not forget the three month purge about fifteen years ago that we had by this same group, around the time I was elected." Her young advisor nodded, frowning at the thought of her best friend possibly being killed.

"I'm going to have to have a conference with the Magi soon. Send word, I want to have one within the coming two weeks," Gita said, knowing this was going to be something that needed to be discussed amongst the leaders.

 _I have a bad, bad feeling about all of this…_

* * *

"Just a little more Anna, c'mon…," Elsa encouraged, Anna's hand squeezing hers as she tried her best to lower it to their goal temperature, "You've almost got it frozen! You can do this." Anna had sweat beading her brow; they had hit forty five degrees a yesterday; now, the goal was set to the freezing point. Anna had to keep her hand out of the water for this one, which was proving to be the most difficult challenge of them all. She could no longer use the Water's energy directly, and instead had to feel the link between herself and the molecules.

Anna tried to focus on feeling each of the individual pockets of energy transferring into her system, coils wracking their way through her body. This process was difficult, but getting easier as time passed by. She felt the cold flowing out of her palm more and more, and knew she was close –

"You did it!" Elsa yelled, extreme pride evident in her voice. Anna opened her eyes, the teal glow that was present dimming, and stopped the flow of energy, looking down at what had happened. The bucket had turned into a block of Ice. She took a deep breath and released Elsa's hand, much to both of their chagrin.

Elsa was starting to become quite fond of the fact that Anna was like an oven all of the time. While the cold never specifically bothered her (considering the Branch that she was in), she craved warmth like she craved chocolate, and Anna seemed to have plenty of both. She wished that her father could see this, how her teaching had progressed.

Speaking of, Elsa's father had yet to come home; it had been two days, and she was getting worried. Her concern would be heard later, though; right now, she needed to focus on her pupil and how she was doing.

"How do you feel?" she asked, knowing that the actual process of freezing would take a lot out of someone who had never done it prior. Anna grinned at her tiredly; they had gotten up at nine that morning, ate eggs and bacon, then started PT for about an hour. If Anna wasn't tired, then she surely wasn't human.

Anna wiped off the sweat she had accumulated on her brow, letting out a breath of air before answering with a grin.

"Just peachy, Frosty. Juuuust peachy," she replied, chuckling at the nickname she had recently donned for Elsa. The blonde rolled her eyes and helped Anna to her feet, stretching her back and feeling her spine crack.

"Fantastic, dare I even say. Like I could conquer the world," Anna joked. Elsa turned to her with a devious glint in her eye.

"Really? How's your balance?" Elsa asked. Anna eyed her warily, unsure of if her honest answer was going to prove of much use to her in this situation. She had pretty good balance most of the time, set aside on slippery surfaces.

 _That's something you should get used to, you know… Training with Water people and all…_ she grimaced at her thoughts, but looked to Elsa, who was awaiting her reply with the glint never fading.

"I'm fairly well balanced… Why do you ask?" she questioned, the look in Elsa's irises making her dread what she was certain was something slippery in her future. With a mischievous smile, Elsa stomped her foot on the ground and put a sheen of Ice underneath their feet throughout the entire shack, giving Anna no room to escape the literal slippery slope that rested beneath her feet.

"Elsa! What the hell?!" she yelled, starting to flail around like a fawn that had just found its feet. Elsa slid away gracefully, balancing impeccably on the slippery surface. She soon began to giggle, laughing at the sight of Anna thrashing wildly in front of her. Even though the whole scene was quite hilarious in how pathetic it was, Elsa couldn't help but find frustrated Anna unbearably cute.

 _Too damn adorable, I swear to the Gods,_ Elsa thought.

"Dear Gods, Elsa, can you please help me before I fall flat on my ass?!" she half-heartedly yelled, worrying for her potentially injured bum. Elsa created a little pile of snow behind Anna in case she did fall, but kept her distance for now as she watched her pupil gain her bearings on the Ice.

Tonna had trained her on Ice for a long time, teaching her how to maneuver and fight fluidly in order to use it to her advantage. She could move just as easily on Ice as she could on solid ground now. Soon enough, Anna's struggling paid off, as she managed to stand straight up.

"Well, you seem to have gotten it down pretty well. I think you'll be fine," Elsa said, starting to glide toward the door which Anna was currently residing beside.

"Meet me outside when you've learned how to walk on Ice, Miss World-Conqueror," she laughed, zooming by Anna.

Well, _almost_ zooming by Anna.

"Oh, no you don't!" Anna cried, grabbing Elsa's waist and pulling her away from the door. Taken off guard by the momentum, both Elsa and Anna fell backward onto the snow tuft behind them, disoriented from the world suddenly going upside down.

When the dizziness stopped, Elsa noticed a warmth settled underneath her and opened her eyes to present to her a befogged Anna, who quietly groaned as she clutched her head in pain, her other arm still wrapped around Elsa's waist.

 _Wait, am I in her… lap?_ Looking down, Elsa realized that her suspicions were confirmed as she blushed like a madwoman. Her behind was settled against Anna's lap, and though her legs were in a bit of an awkward position, both of them were generally on either side of Anna's waist. Anna began coming to, having taken the full brunt of the fall making the recovery a bit longer. She opened her eyes and Elsa could see the same thoughts she had previously had reflecting in there, her ears and neck alighting a deep red.

Leaning in dangerously close to Elsa, Anna looked down at her lips and licked her own. Elsa's heart started drumming against her chest, a quick rhythm waiting for the right moment to break out of her ribcage. Anna's warm breath fanned her face, the proximity between them becoming smaller by the second.

 _Time for payback._

"Shouldn't you take me out to dinner first, Frosty?" Anna murmured, half smile crossing her features as her eyes lit up in mirth. She picked up Elsa with ease and moved her to the side, standing up and leaving a vastly befuddled Elsa in the pile of snow of her own creation. Anna dusted herself off of the fluff, chipper personality returning to replace the flirtatious facet that had just shown itself.

"I'll meet you at the top of the hill with lunch ready!" she called, closing the door behind her. Elsa blinked a few times, wondering what in the name of Vita had just happened.

 _I'll find a way to get you back somehow, Anna…_

* * *

A car pulled up into the driveway as Anna got to the top of the hill, Elsa trailing a little bit of a ways behind her. A man soon got out of the car, a yellow Lab following suit. The man was dressed in a worn, brown leather jacket with a white t-shirt, blue jeans, and brown work boots to match his jacket. His thick hair was a light caramel brown, streaks of grey mixing their way into the color as well. He sported a thin mustache and sideburns, and as Anna got closer to him, she realized his eyes were a shade of grey green.

The dog spotted Anna, and began to bound up to her. She prepared herself for impact, when –

"Janders, sit." The command was thrown into the air by the man, whose voice was strong and authoritative. The dog immediately paused, stopping just a few feet before Anna.

"Papa! You're home!" Elsa's voice sliced the air behind them, running up to greet the man as she pulled him into a tight hug. Anna averted her eyes elsewhere, awaiting Elsa to introduce her to her apparent father.

"Where have you been? I've been worried sick about you Papa! No calls, no messages, nothing! You could have gotten into a car crash and died, and I would be none the wiser!" she chided, simultaneous relief and anger clear in her crystal irises.

"Elsa."

"And you took Janders with you, thank you so much for letting me know about that! I ought to rip your head off –"

" _Elsa._ "

"- I swear, Papa, one of these days I'm going to have a heart attack because you don't answer your phone! I didn't even get the chance to say hello when I first got home –"

" _ **Elsa!**_ " He finally yelled. She realized that she had been becoming caringly fretful, a habit that her mother had as well. Of course, she had no clue of it – but the ever present yearning for Iðunn found its way back into Agðar's heart at the ministration that his daughter and late wife shared.

"Elsa, I had very important business to attend to with Janders," he said. It wasn't a total lie; he had gone to Arendelle to get his yearly check up on Janders to make sure all his systems were functioning properly.

"I'm sorry I wasn't home to see you, but I really needed to make sure everything was okay," he explained to her. She nodded, and he continued.

"In addition, my dear, I had work on Friday and today I was finally able to come home. I apologize once again, but I know for a fact that you are more than capable of taking care of yourself – though I see that you have your new pupil here as well," he said, acknowledging Anna. The redhead smiled politely, reaching out her hand to the man.

"My name is Anna Branansikt, sir. Thank you so much for letting me stay in your home and training on your property. It really means the world to me," she said, shaking his hand that he had extended toward her too. He smiled kindly back.

"Agðar Isånd, a true pleasure. Elsa has told me much about you. I understand you can control Fire as well?" he asked, releasing her hand from his grasp. His hands were more rough than Elsa's, though Anna figured that she should have expected as much; from her experience with men and women in the past, men tended to have more of a callous feel to them as opposed to the soft smoothness of women's hands, like Elsa's.

"Indeed… I hope that doesn't present a problem, Mister Isånd," she began, "Otherwise I can sleep down in the little shack down there, at the bottom of the hill?" He shook his head, indicating that everything was well.

"You have nothing to worry about. As long as everything stays under control, I don't believe that there will be anything that will make me kick you out of my home," he replied with a hearty laugh. She smiled, liking how much this man was like Elsa. Their general demeanors were very kind, stern people. She had heard the rumors about what he had done, but with all of her past qualms gone upon their meeting, he had her second guessing all of that.

"Thank you, Mister Isånd. It is truly appreciated," she said, meaning every word that she spoke. He smiled kindly at her in the same way that Elsa was now.

"You're quite welcome Anna," he said, starting for the door, "Also, if you would, just call me Agðar. You have already gained my respect by being willing to come here." There was a sad shine to his eyes, one that spoke of past memories that he could not put into words. He whistled for Janders to come after him, and then turned away. She smiled in understanding as he walked in the cabin and closed the door behind him.

"Elsa…," Anna started, turning to the person in question, "I just want you to know, I can see how whatever it is that happened to your mom deeply affected you and your father, even if you were only a year old at the time. If you ever want to talk about it, I'm always here." She cupped Elsa's hand with both of hers, hoping to provide some relative form of comfort and trust for Elsa. The blonde looked on the verge of tears, which caused Anna to scrunch her eyebrows together in concern.

"Thank you, Anna. That means very much to me," she said, pulling Anna into a tight hug. Anna hugged her back, rubbing up and down her spine as she and Elsa stood outside, embracing each other for the sheer need of having someone there.

* * *

 **A/N:** _Meeting the family, always a fun occasion. I don't really have much to say here this week, so let's get to the reviews, shall we?_

 **Reviews! (thank you to everyone who favorited, followed, reviewed and commented this week. You all kick ass!)**

 **(ch. 12) Strasza:** This chapter feels a tad slow, in a good way. I like how it's focusing on the budding relationship the two leads have, as well as hint at an upcoming chapter. As for the smut, I say go for it, it could definitely work in this story. Also Anna should try chocolate covered Bacon, the two best snacks combined

 **Burns:** _Certainly. I wanted to take a little bit of a breather on this chapter, since so much has been going on in the past ten. And yeah, will do!_


	14. Breakthroughs

**Usual disclaimer.** _Band camp whooped my ass this week. I'm exhausted. I love you guys, though... So here's another chapter! I have decided that smut will be included in this story (later on, albeit, but it will occur). Enjoy!_

 **Update: A Spade is a person who has Elemental heritage, but inactive genes. If you've ever read Harry Potter, this is much like a Squib, minus the fact that they can still pass on the genes.**

* * *

"My Lady, the Four and their advisors are here. Shall I see them in?"

"Yes, Vishal, if you would be so kind as to do so."

His heavy footsteps left her presence, and Gita heard quiet talking outside, three masculine voices and one feminine voice present. She pressed her fingers into the stone of the Temple floor, channeling her energy into her fingertips as she rose up the table they would be using for their meeting, one that had been ingrained in the ground of the Temple since the rise of Lady Flora Fae – three generations of Ultimum Malefici ago. She rose up each of their thrones and chairs before sitting at hers, cape on the back of her chair.

As they came in, Gita could tell on their faces that they all had dreaded this meeting just as much as she had. It wasn't that they didn't want to solve the problem at hand, that being the rebellions across the world; it was that they had all been silently praying that there wouldn't ever be a problem to solve, hoping that things would be resolved by each individual.

After everyone was settled, Vishal and the other Temple servants brought in wine and food for the Magi. Vishal looked up and over at her, the question in his gaze being answered by her nodding, a silent confirmation to grab the papers they needed.

"I trust your travels were well and good, my friends," Gita began, "and that you have rested well prior to coming here." Vishal reentered the room and place each Line's paper in front of their respective Lord or Lady, handing the advisors extra copies.

"Can anyone, in such a time of strife as this?" asked Lord Mickey Luch. There was a hum of agreement amongst the table, Pocahontas included. Gita sighed.

"I agree, Mickey. I have gotten no dreams from the Gods that prove to be of assistance as of the time being, aside from Horatius paying me a visit and saying 'They Rise', of which the meaning is incredibly vague. Now that things have started to happen in the Terra Magus, I'm sure your sleep has been restive as well." He and his advisor, Sir Donald Sorsa, nodded gravely.

"I just can't seem to put a grasp on the whole thing; there's been no cause for uprisings in any way, shape, or form! Especially now that it is extending beyond beyond Fire, this gives me reason to believe that this is extending beyond just the realm of our Order," said Lord Seo-jun Min. Pocahontas leaned forward at this point, exchanging a look with Gita. When her Lady gave her a small nod, she began the explanation that she and the Indonesian had form.

"Agreed, Milord. Henceforth, we," she began, gesturing to Gita and herself, "have formed a hypothesis on this group and their motives. Let's begin with the physical traits, shall we? If you look on the first page of the debriefing papers, you'll notice a few bullet points, of which we have gathered a collective of different traits all regarding the common physical appearances of the members." There was a shuffling of papers as the Magi began to skim the text. Gita steepled her fingers as she scanned the reactions of her fellow Lords and Lady.

"Dame Rolfe and myself have come up with a name for these outstanders: the X-Rebels, taken from the fact that they all have X's branded into their left arms. From what we've gathered, the Rebels are a predominantly male force, of varying physical stature and nationalities, throwing the possible idea of an Elemental neo-Nazi cult, or something of the likes." Lord de l'Eau clasped his giant hands in front of him, corners of his mouth pointing southward.

"You said they all had X's on their left arms, correct Lady Ratulemen?" He asked. When she nodded her confirmation, his frown deepened. "So did the group from twenty years ago…"

"... The Usurpers," finished Mickey with a grimace. "While many of you did not hold the office you do now at the time, the Usurpers were a group that tried to kill the Magi, such as myself and Lord Lezigha, and the Heads of the Houses and Branches for about five years. They really only succeeded in taking a handful lives—luckily, none of the Magi or Heads, as the attackers were either Spades or non-Magic users—, one of them being the late Rörik Nordin, may he Rest In Peace." While some of them didn't hold the office they held now, they were all old enough to know the tale of Sir Nordin. The knowledge had only been contained to the Magi; it still weighed heavily on many of them that they had never told Tonna, but they could not risk losing her should she had decided to go after the Usurpers for revenge.

"Yes, indeed; I did my research. I attempted to draw some similarities between the Usurpers and X-Rebels, but unfortunately, the only thing I really found was the X's on their arms. From what I've seen, the X-Rebels _are_ Elementals, which proves a much bigger threat to us than the Usurpers posed. So far, though, the rebellions have stayed contained to just that: rebellions," said Gita.

"Except for the late Lady Jabari," said Sir Ron Jon, the Advisor to the new Aer Magus.

"Exactly, which is what confuses me most. The rebellions started _after_ her death, which makes me question if their goal is similar to that of the Usurpers, or if they are simply attempting to form a separate organization aside from the only one that exists: us," replied Gita, more to the whole table as opposed to just Sir Jon.

"Which brings us to our next point: the organization and structure of the X-Rebels. So far, we have found no solid evidence of if they have a leader, or if so, who," began Pocahontas. "We don't know if they have a ranking system, or what their motives are. We don't know if they have a creed, or motto –"

"Wait," Lady Sydalnnar interrupted. All eyes turned toward her with the realization that she could have precious information on the X-Rebels.

"I believe they do have a motto of sorts," she said, pulling out a stone from her pocket. As she pressed her thumb into it, it shined bright orange, and her eyes glowed a dim yellow. A phrase flew out into the air above the table, ropes of floating fire being projected into the air.

 _An rí teacht. Scriosadh bheith leis an ordú._

"This is what my sources found. When we captured the five people who were found attacking a group from the Line of Water unprovoked, we tried to get as much information as we could out of them. The phrase you see above you," she said, nodding at the letters before them, "is what they kept repeating, over and over; nothing more, nothing less. This is, as you can see, a language separate from what any of us are familiar with or use."

The Magi and their advisors studied the phrase, wondering what in the Devil the phrase meant. That is, until Sir Sorsa opened his mouth.

"I… may actually be of assistance in this instance, Milady," said Sir Sorsa, "If I'm not mistaken, that looks like ancient Gaelic…" He observed it more, tilting his head. "Of the Irish variety. I have not the slightest idea what it says, but I'll be sure to take the phrase to a linguistics expert. I have many connections I can speak with." The air in the room seemed to lighten considerably, the first step being taken toward finding out _who_ exactly made up the X-Rebels; and, perhaps more importantly, _why_ they were doing what they were.

* * *

Two weeks had passed since the day that Anna learned to freeze a bucket of Water and turn it into Ice, and since then, her training had been progressing at an astounding rate. Elsa was thoroughly impressed, not only by how quickly she picked up her Ways, but also with how hard Anna worked. She put every ounce of effort into her training, and it was paying off for her prettily.

Today, they were working on shaping Snow and forming Snowmen. Not bringing it to life – not yet, Elsa had said – just forming the Snow and shaping it into the image that their creator had in mind. While Elsa could do this with practiced ease, she realized that this was one of the first things that Anna had created on her own.

They had done their normal routine: wake up, physical training, then worked on new things. Elsa had Anna working harder in PT now; since Anna's Water energy threshold was expanding the more she practiced, she could afford to expend more physical energy in PT.

Of course, it was an unspoken observation between the two that Elsa enjoyed watching Anna workout; her physique was impeccable, and _very_ alluring to the blonde. Anna would occasionally catch Elsa blushing as she called out a new exercise, and shoot a smirk her way in return. The reaction that Elsa gave her varied; sometimes, it would be a more intense blush, sometimes it would be an eyeroll, and sometimes, if she was really feeling confident that day, a smirk and a wink back. This reaction never failed to make Anna's ears turn as red as her hair.

Anna was surprised that this flirtatious side was coming out of herself. Or, maybe she wasn't; this _was_ the gorgeous Elsa Isånd she was pursuing, and Gods be damned if she wasn't going to give this her all. That's just the way she was; she put her one hundred percent into everything she did.

Snapping back to reality, she visualized a Snowman in front of her, feeling the cold flow from her hand and create a Snow flurry. Almost completely blocked out from the world in her concentrated state, she just barely heard Elsa yelling words of encouragement above the mini Snowstorm.

"You're doing it!"

 _I am. I am doing it._

Soon, she opened her eyes and looked at the figure in front of her. She – yes, her creation was a Snow _woman_ – resembled Olaf greatly, though her intention was to have completely round body pieces.

"She's _gorgeous!_ " cried Olaf from across the room, bounding up to the unnamed Snowwoman. He bowed in the best gentleman-like manner he could, shaking the Snowwoman's twig hand – speaking of, did Anna place that on there from the ground? – and smiling as bright as the sun.

"What's your name?" he asked, clearly awaiting the response to be given back to him from a Snow creature that so closely resembled himself. There was a cough from behind him, Elsa looking apologetically at the kind Snowman.

"I'm afraid she can't talk, and therefore doesn't have a na–" Elsa began, until Anna cut her off.

"Her name is Ingrid, Olaf," Anna interrupted, a simultaneously sad and happy expression crossing her face, "and as soon as I learn how to, I promise I'll bring her to life for you so she can be your girlfriend. Sound good, buddy?" He leapt into her arms, steam emitting from between the pair like the last time. She gently flurried him off of her, smiling at his actions.

"That sounds _awesome!_ And Ingrid is such a pretty name, you know? Fitting for such a pretty Snowwo–" There was a sudden crack above the trio as a heavy plank broke from the ceiling and plummeted toward Anna. Elsa shrieked and covered her face, subconsciously sending Ice Anna's way to protect her. There was a groan in the ground and a snap in the air as both women finally came to.

The Earth around them had been pressed upward toward the plank in a protective manner around Anna, the stone creating almost a dome around her and effectively snapping the piece of wood in half.

 _She can use Earth's energy, too…?_ Elsa thought, more and more questions pouring into her mind as Anna lowered the Earth back into the ground.

"What in the hell…" Elsa started, confusion clouding her features. Anna looked everywhere but her mentor's eyes, looking like a child who just got exposed eating chocolate cake in front of their parents.

"So, Elsa… I suppose I should have you sit down before I tell you all the information I'm about to tell you. Why don't we go up to the cabin and sit down for lunch?" She asked. Elsa shook her head, brows furrowing. She crafted two chairs and a table between them, leaning in close.

"No. Tell me here, and now. What in the name of the Gods was _that_ ," she asked authoritatively. Any other time, Anna would have been flustered at that tone of voice; but in this moment, it just made her incredibly anxious.

"Well, I'll give it to you the easy way first," she began, "I'm currently in training to become the next Ultimum Maleficus."

* * *

 **A/N:** _Cue set up for a big reveal on Anna's past in the next chapter (or rather, her parent's past...). I hope you all enjoyed, that one; I almost forgot to update the story this week! I'm in process of writing a one shot with these dorks, set in a m!AU at a college dorm. We'll see if I can get it out in the next week with school starting back up for me and all. So!_

 **The reviews! (Thank you to everyone who favorited, followed, reviewed and PM'd this week! Y'all kick ass!)**

 **Strasza** : This is an awesome chapter, the rebels now have a name, Elsa and Anna are getting closer, and Anna finally met Elsa's father. If I didn't know better, I'd say that the upcoming fight will play out like the Civil War questline in Skyrim, where Elsa and Anna will basically be the front line.

 **Burns:** _Thanks! And perhaps. I have a general idea of what I want to do with them as far as the fighting, but I haven't decided upon the logistics. We'll see!_

 **Not Strasza:** Great Chapter, this is my favorite fanfic on this site. You should definitely add smut to this. After all, it is rated M, so why not? So I just want to say, good luck.

 **Burns:** _I'm truly flattered! Thank you so much. Yeah, I already have found a way to weave smut into the plot, so that's covered XD Thank you for the kind wishes, I won't disappoint!_

* * *

 _Alright guys, that's all for this week. See you next time!_ **~ Burns**


	15. A Broken Levee

**Usual disclaimer.** _Prepare for some angsty shit on this one._

* * *

Elsa was glad that Anna had her sit down at this point. She supposed she should have already guessed it by now, but there were some people in the Order who could only master two Elements, sometimes even three. But Anna…

Anna, the girl who loved milk chocolate, the one who made the perfect pancakes and had Elsa smile like she never smiled before…

"Wait, so… All four?" She asked. Anna smiled back nervously.

"All four."

"Elements."

"Yes, Elsa. Elements. I have the capability to master all four Elements."

"So… I'm basically training my next leader."

"If that's the way you want to put it, then yes. You're training the next Gita Ratulemen." Elsa was dumbfounded, jaw agape and looking at Anna like she had two heads.

"Please just… don't treat me any differently than you would normally. That's the last thing I really want. I just want to keep training how we normally would, without this whole thing getting in our way. I _hate_ being treated like I'm some sort of… Super special person or something like that," she requested, her face morphing into a look of pleading.

"But you _are_ this super special person. For Vita's sake, you can control basically everything!" Elsa cried. Anna just shook her head and raised a finger up to her lips, looking around fearfully following Elsa's exclamation. The blonde's dark eyebrows scrunched together, somehow putting puzzle pieces together in her head as more and more time went by, the silence stretching onward between them.

"Why… why did you not tell me?" Elsa asked softly. She wasn't hurt by the fact that Anna didn't tell her, but rather… confused. Anna sighed, resting her chin in the palm of her hand and looking at Elsa, seeming to study her features before giving her answer.

"Because I didn't want you to treat me any different. I'm still Anna, regardless of if I can master all four Elements or not. I'm still _me_ , and I didn't want to be treated any differently than that," she said, her hand coming up to graze her scar, "and, I'm sure you are wondering why I want to keep it so on the downlow, so to speak." Her eyes flicked up to meet Elsa's questioning gaze, a ripple of pain shooting throughout her face.

"Because of my heritage, my parents died."

 **Twenty one years ago**

 _Ingrid Bønn and Daniel Kjærlighet met on an accidental date, set up by their two closest friends, Lars Oaken and Tom Moe; both of which happening to be Spades. Ingrid and Daniel, however, happened to be Elementals; very powerful ones, at that, and they both knew it._

 _That was beside the point, though, especially on that night. They had heard about each other's families before, though not necessarily in the most positive light; the Bønn family was a mixture of Fire and Air lines, while the Kjærlighet family was a tossup of Earth and Water lines. There had been bad blood between the family for a while, though neither Ingrid or Daniel knew why their families couldn't move past it._

 _Oaken had been working at his parents' restaurant at the time, being in university and not having enough money to start his own business yet, and invited Daniel to the restaurant, managing to finally get a reservation. Tom had been scheming with his mountain-like boyfriend to get Ingrid to come as well, and finally convinced her to attend. Daniel, of course, was unsuspecting, sitting alone at his table and awaiting Oaken to come and take his order… Only to be met with a beautiful blonde in front of him._

 _Her hair seemed as if it were spun from gold, done up in a bun, and her eyes the color of the clearest oceans. She had beautiful pink lips, and a smile that could spur world peace. He found himself in awe, completely dumbstruck by her beauty, and soon realized that she was staring back at him. His ears turned as red as his hair, and he averted his emerald eyes quickly. He started playing with the hair around his neck, a nervous habit that formed when he was just a child._

" _H-hi, miss. A-are you at the wrong table?" He asked timidly, wondering if this beauty had accidentally stumbled upon the wrong table. To his surprise, she just laughed, the sound ringing. He decided right then and there that that was one of his all-time favorite sounds, and while not a soft or gentle sound, it still made his heart sing._

" _Nope! I'm at the right table, from what Moe and Oaken have told me. And honestly, I'm pretty glad I'm here too! I mean, the food here is great – have you tried it yet? If not, let's get to ordering! – and I'm having dinner with a_ very _attractive stranger, just like they said I would be! I mean, you seem pretty surprised and all… Whether that's because you didn't know about this or you expected me to be a hag, I'm not really sure," she rambled, eyeing him up suspiciously all of the sudden and taking a breath, "And I sure hope it's not the later. By the way, My name is Ingrid, what's yours?" His eyebrows were already well into his hairline, jaw dropping more and more as he listened to her not-so-little rant that she managed to get out in only two breaths._

" _Uh… My name is Daniel, nice to meet you?" he asked uncertainly, trying to register everything that had just been thrown his way. She held out her hand and waited for him to shake it; his hand eventually moved on its own accord. Suddenly, he seemed to register what she had said about him possibly not knowing about this._

" _Wait, you knew about this?" he asked, blinking a few times. She cocked her head to the side in a manner that said she was surprised he was even asking the question._

" _If I didn't, I would have already found Oaken. Speaking of, look who's here!" Daniel turned his head to the side to see his giant friend walking up. His eyes turned into emerald green slits, glaring hard at his friend._

" _Yoo hoo!" Oaken exclaimed, becoming more and more frightened by his friend as time went by, "What can I start you both with today?" Daniel's eye twitched before he gave his answer._

" _An explanation, for one," he gritted out. Oaken chuckled nervously._

" _I set you up on a blind date," Oaken explained, "And it wasn't just me, ya, Moe did it too!"_

" _You know, Lars," Daniel said, noticing his friend flinching at the rare use of his first name, "People usually know about blind dates when they go on one." The tenor of his tone rumbled low, dropping down to a baritone he didn't normally have. Oaken's lips pressed into a firm line._

" _Daniel, you're being a child about this. You wouldn't be so mad about this if it were not a beautiful woman, ya? Enjoy the date with the girl and see how it goes," he chastised. Daniel sat back in his seat and folded his arms, an adorable pout coming over his lips. Oaken reached down and squeezed his cheek._

" _Come on now Daniel, I know you're not going to Ice me, ya?" He challenged, shaking Daniel's cheek. He gave out a light laugh, swatting away his hand._

" _I just might, now that you mentioned it," he fired back. Hurriedly, Oaken asked once more what the pair wanted to drink, scared of what was to come if he didn't._

" _Just some hot chocolate, please!" Ingrid chirped. Oaken smiled and nodded, before turning nervously to his friend._

" _Water," Daniel grumbled. Suddenly, an idea formed in his head. A devilish smile crossed his face, and he rested his hand against the top of the table. A sheen of Ice crept down from underneath his fingertips, spreading over the floor and up Oaken's legs. He froze in spot, shaking almost immediately. Turning, he caught Daniel's emerald gaze, noticing the smirk he had across his face as he sent the Ice just slightly north of Oaken's thighs. The man's eyes widened comically, and Daniel laughed loudly, the noise warming Ingrid's heart. He withdrew his Ice from Oaken and existence, still chuckling as he turned back to Ingrid._

" _Wait, you're an Elemental too?" She asked, surprise evident on her face. His face reflected hers as he realized that she had included one_ very _important word to that sentence:_

 _Too._

" _You are as well?" he responded, sounding just as shocked as she clearly seemed. She slowly nodded, smile spreading across her face as she found a common ground between the pair._

" _Yep! I can control Fire and Air, how about you?" she asked, excitement starting to seep into her voice._

" _Water and Earth," he responded, relaxing now that he could talk about something with the gorgeous date at his table. He gave a genuine smile at her for the first time that night, dimples finally surfacing._

" _Really? That's so cool," she said, "Especially because I don't see a lot of it. My mom and dad haven't really exposed me to much of Water and Earth, and I haven't really found any other Elementals aside from Lars and Tom's parents. It's so nice to have someone else like me, in that sense. I always wanted to meet someone my age."_

 _Daniel grinned, feeling the same way._

" _Always?" he asked._

" _Always," she replied._

" _I agree. It's tough to find people this far up north, aside from people of the Glaciem Magistri," he said. She nodded in agreement._

" _Thank you! I try to tell my parents that, but they never listen, in fact…" she began. The rest of the night was spent learning about each other and each other's Lines, asking each other questions about where they grew up and where they went to school, and finding each other genuinely easy to talk to._

 _Eventually, after about three or four more hours, they went on to discuss more of their families. They found themselves fascinated by the tales of their grandfathers and great-grandfathers both fighting in World War I & II alongside the great Aqua Magus, Lukas Vinter._

" _My great-grandfather was in the FSK, and then the Marines when he left Norway to fight in the Great War. He used to tell me stories about when he met his best friend, Alexander. They had met in the Special Gifts Corps, and Alexander had apparently been Norwegian-American. In the War, my great-grandfather's life was saved by Alexander, who had thrown up a wall of Earth in order to shield them from a grenade. My great-grandfather convinced him to come back to Norway after the War. They were each other's best men at their weddings, the godparents to their firstborn children – which, by the way, was my grandfather in my case – and stayed friends for a long time. Until after WWII, that is," Ingrid said. Daniel leaned in, as if contemplating something. She took it as a cue to continue._

" _My grandfather and Alexander's son, Marius, were best friends, going into the FSK when they were of age and growing up together. Until WWII hit, everything was fine. But once it hit, things changed…" she said, looking off._

" _It's not really my place to tell the rest," she explained. At this point, Daniel's brows were furrowed tightly together, in deep thought._

" _Daniel?" she said, reaching out to rest her hand on his arm. He seemed to come back to reality then, eyes meeting hers. His gaze seemed to pierce her soul, scouring; it was almost as if he were looking for something._

" _Ingrid… What is your last name?" he asked carefully._

" _Bønn, why do you ask?" He leaned back in his chair, eyes averting and looking elsewhere._

" _I know the rest of the story. Marius Kjærlighet is my grandfather, and Alexander was my great-grandfather. Your great-grandfather was John, and his son was Erik. I'm Daniel Kjærlighet, grandson to the man that abandoned your grandfather during WWII," he said. For the first time that night, she was rendered speechless._

" _You're so… different. I thought you would be this… this… cruel man with no heart. I can't believe you're the way that you are. You're so much_ kinder _than I expected, so much more handsome." His ears burned at that statement._

" _Thank you, Ingrid."_

" _I… I want to see you again. I want to get to know you more, regardless of what stories were spun about your family, or even your family toward mine," she said. He smiled at that statement._

" _I think I would like that," he replied, "Meet me here again on Wednesday?" She nodded vigorously._

" _How about every Wednesday?" she countered._

" _Deal."_

" _I'm going to look forward to seeing you again, Daniel." He grinned._

" _Always?" She smiled back._

" _Always."_

* * *

"From thereon out, they stayed true to the pact that they had made. They met up every Wednesday for the next three months, before my dad asked my mom to be in a relationship with him. This caused an uproar in the families, the hatred that they had harbored for one another causing them to be blind to the love that my mom and dad obviously had for each other. My mom's dad cursed them both out, telling them they wouldn't run forever," Anna said. Elsa was clinging on to her every word, thankful for her listening skills at this point.

"They moved to Corona, bought an apartment, got married. Then, they had me," she said, smiling to herself.

"I was a game-changer, in both good and bad ways. My dad's side at least tried to keep contact with them at that point. I think they finally realized that my mom and dad were in it for the long haul. My mom's side, however… They were pushed even further from us, saying that this was a 'grave mistake', especially since a kid was permanent, but a marriage was not," she explained, fists clenching. She looked up and met Elsa's eyes, the blonde being startled by the intensity that was present.

"I'm sure you've heard about the period of time where each Lord and Lady was being targeted by people and trying to be killed, yes?" She asked. Elsa nodded, thinking forlornly back on Tonna's tale about Rörik.

"They weren't just after them, Elsa. They were after anyone who _could_ be a Lord or Lady one day too. I was one of those anyone's. My parent's genes showed up strong in me – all four Elements. I was one of their main targets, and my parents paid the ultimate sacrifice trying to protect me," she said, a lump coming to her throat.

"My parents, Elsa. I was four, and I had them ripped violently from my life. Maybe their families were trying to keep each other apart for a reason – so they wouldn't have to know their kids died for a child they didn't even care about," she said, her voice starting to catch.

"Nobody came forth to claim me. No one. I had no family, I had no one to come to. That's why I cherish the Trolls and Kristoff so much; they became the big family I could have had but never did. They loved me when no one else tried to, when my parents no longer could." Her voice cracked, and she finally broke down.

"Why did they go, Elsa?" She whispered in a broken tone, "why?"

She soon felt a pair of cool arms wrap around her, pulling her close and stroking her hair in a calming manner. She wrapped her arms tightly against Elsa's waist, sobbing against her shirt.

Anna had not talked about this event since the Trolls had shown her what had gone on, when she was older and mature enough to comprehend it. The pain of it, somehow, was still fresh.

"It's alright, Anna. I'm here. I've got you," Elsa murmured, her voice soothing Anna and making her feel better. They stayed there for what felt like hours, Anna releasing all the pent up anger and sadness that she had built inside of her for years. Eventually, the redhead sniffed and nodded, pulling away from Elsa and looking up at her with red-rimmed eyes.

"Thank you," she whispered thickly. She meant the statement with all of her heart, and Elsa knew it. She smiled down at her, hands coming up to wipe away Anna's tears.

"Don't thank me. I'm your companion as well as your mentor, and I don't mind doing what a companion does," she said gently. She soon pulled away completely from Anna before grabbing her hands and helping her from her chair.

"I think we'll conclude our training for the day. Let's go up the hill and grab some lunch, okay?" she said, taking her pupil's hand in her own. Anna nodded and sniffled yet again as they started their expedition up the hill. Elsa squeezed Anna's hand gently, the action returning the feeling that Anna had given her the other day; a sense of having someone there for you when you most need it.

* * *

Mickey Luch knew he was dreaming when he found himself in the Fog again, a light slicing the air as his Goddess revealed herself. The golden skinned woman was in a white robe, as she normally would be, but her normally gentle face was twisted into a look of urgency.

"Mickey you need to get up. There is danger afoot, and they are coming," Floriana said in a hurried manner to Mickey's dream self.

"What is going on?" he asked. The shapely woman shook her head, mussing her dark brown hair, her golden gaze connecting with Mickey's black one.

"No time. Just wake. Up!" She yelled.

Mickey awoke with a start, his chest heaving and heart pounding. His wife, Minnie, was still sound asleep next to him, oblivious to the fact that her husband had just woken up. Mickey slipped a T-shirt on and walked outside of his house, drawing Earth around him to create a suit of armor. He erected a wooden spear from under the ground, and slowly walked around the perimeter of his home.

 _Something is not right._

And suddenly, the snap of a twig toward the left of him alerted him of someone else's presence. He reared his fist back and slammed it into the ground, the Earth groaning as it cracked and bent toward the source of the noise.

" _Invenietis illos_ ," he commanded the Earth. In a matter of two minutes, the Earth had gone in seven different lines. Once he heard it stop moving altogether, he knew they were caught. He twisted his hand into the ground, telling it a new command.

" _Eos deducere_." The ground shifted once again, this time retracting from the lengths that it was at prior. The lines soon came to a halt, the Earth shuddering as it present Lord Luch with seven men in black hoods.

" _Reliquit brachium ad dilacerant_." The sleeves from the left arms of each person were torn from their robe. Each of them had an X present.

His eyes widened as he looked at at the seven people. He wracked his mind to remember the phrase that had been discussed at the last meeting amongst the Magi, closing his eyes momentarily.

"An rí teacht. Scriosadh bheith leis an ordú," he recited. They looked at him strangely, as if he had just uttered what they had not anticipated.

"Céimeanna an rí atá ag fás. Déanfaimid mbogann a dhéanamh go luath," replied the man in the center of the form uncertainly. Mickey didn't understand a single word of it, but it was new progress toward their cause.

" _Fac se somnum_ ," said the Lord. He twisted his foot into the ground and the trees extended their branches toward the seven, releasing a sleeping chemical that knocked them out within seconds.

He raised them up into the air and brought them toward him. One by one, he put a temporary block on the Magical energy he found within them, since they all happened to be of Earth and he could actually short circuit their Energy. He bound them to the trees, wrapping their branches around them tightly to hold them.

He went inside and immediately called the Temple. Taito, one of the lower ranking servants, answered.

"Hello?" He asked.

"Taito, please give the phone to Gita. Tell her it is Lord Luch calling with news about my left arm," he said. Though he knew Taito was obviously confused, he knew that asking questions wasn't going to help in this case and was thankful that the servant didn't ask one.

"Mickey," said Gita, "what is it you've found?"

"I was attached and I found a new phrase. Call the Magi whenever you get the chance. It's important," he whispered urgently as not to wake his wife.

"Of course. Thank you, Mickey," she said, writing it all down. He hummed his response and hung up.

Donald texted him, then.

 _My linguist found out the phrase. We were up all night. Call me when you've the chance, my friend._

He would, in the morning. For now, he realized how mentally exhausted he was; he curled back up against Minnie and listened to her breathing, the thoughts that were running around his head slowing to a halt as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 **A/N:** _Uh oh... Next chapter brings some breakthroughs that I hope y'all are ready for. The angst ain't stoppin' here._

 **And now, for the reviews! (Thanks to everyone who favorited, followed, reviewed and PM'd me this week. Y'all kick ass!)**

 **Strasza:** I honestly can't say anything about this chapter that'll do it justice, it's just that damn good.

 **Burns:** _Thank you! I wonder how you will like the next few chapters, then... Especially with all the things that are happening in the story from hereon out._

 **The Myth Rider:** This is still going along excellently, and I am loving it! While the chapters feel short, that is of little consequence; you're doing great, I can survive a little brevity, hehehehe. I confess, I'm glad you've decided to add smut...I uh, hehehe, I may be looking forward to it.

 **Burns:** _Thank you! I'm so happy that you're enjoying it so much :) Some chapters I need to use as fillers with a tiny amount of plot in them, like last chapter. When I have the time, like I did on this past Wednesday, I'm able to sit down and focus on the writing. This chapter was eight pages as opposed to last chapter, which was four (the minimum I make sure my chapters get). Also! There's going to be hella sexual tension for a while. I'm a writing tease, what can I say?_

* * *

 _Alright guys, I'll see you next week!_ ~ **Burns**


	16. Collateral Damage

**Usual disclaimer.** _Angst stuff and fluff stuff and plot, oh my! Enjoy._

* * *

It was hard. It was hard for Elsa to just sit idly by as she listened to Anna's story of her parents, one that clearly cut her down to her very core. When she had gotten up to comfort Anna, it was off of instinct; she didn't even think about it, she just did it. The fact that Anna had opened up to her yet again, and in such an exposed way, truly tugged at her heartstrings –

And made her even more frustrated at herself.

Anna had now exposed two of her deepest sorrows with Elsa, and the blonde didn't even have the courtesy to tell her the story of her mother. She had never had the strength to tear down her walls for anyone but Tonna, who had worked tirelessly to earn her trust. She deeply missed her mentor, and wished she was here to give her advice.

 _But this is why she chose you as her advisor,_ she thought, _because she trusts you to begin handling things on your own._

She clenched her jaw as she stared at the ceiling above the couch she and Anna had been laying on. The girl was mentally exhausted after recounting the tale of her parents and opening the wounds that she had worked hard to close, and thus fell asleep.

 _On my arm, might I add._ Anna had asked her to stay with her, not wanting to be alone. Of course, the blonde agreed.

 _How could I have said no?_

Elsa looked down at the redhead through her glasses, the girl now resting tranquilly. For the first time that day, she looked truly at peace. She smelled of strawberries and jasmine, no doubt due to the shampoo and body wash she used.

Anna's face soon changed, however. It began to morph into one of quiet terror.

 _She's having a nightmare_.

"Ma… Pap…," she murmured. Elsa realized then that she was having a dream about her parents. Anna's feet began to twitch, and her eyebrows drew together. Soon, she was whimpering quietly. Janders came up to see what was wrong with the two; Elsa pet his head and softly commanded him to sit.

She turned back to Anna, unsure of exactly what to do. So she did the only thing she could; she wrapped her arms around the girl in hopes of comforting her. She soon felt Anna's twitching cease, a pair of arms wrapping around her waist and hugging her back. She rubbed up and down the girl's spine.

"You're okay, Anna. You're safe here," she murmured, resting her chin atop Anna's head, "You're safe here." She felt a small nodded against the crook of her neck, knowing now that Anna had awoken. Her arms tightened around Elsa, pulling her almost flush against her.

"Thank you, Elsa," she said, breath ghosting over the blonde's collarbones. Red erupted across her cheeks at the sensation, and she swallowed hard.

"Mmhm," she replied, not trusting herself to say actual words.

 _Really? C'mon Elsa, this is about her, not your damn attraction to her,_ she thought. She took a deep breath, pulling back to look at Anna in the eyes.

"Hey," she began softly, "I've been meaning to ask you a question since you told me the story about your parents." Anna's gaze turned inquisitive, wondering what it was that Elsa wanted to ask. Elsa's brows came together.

"Why is your last name Branansikt and not Kjærlighet?" she asked. Anna's eyebrows rose, surprised that Elsa had picked up on the detail that she had not shared her parent's last name. She propped herself up onto her elbow, now looking down at Elsa. The proximity didn't seem to phase Anna in the slightest; that didn't stop her from noticing the blush arise behind the frame of Elsa's glasses. She smiled internally before answering Elsa's question.

"Well, mainly for security reasons, to be completely honest," she said, "The people who were hunting me down knew my last name. If I changed it, they would be a hell of a lot more lost than if I didn't. The Trolls pointed that out to me, and I agreed. So they let me choose my new last name.

I chose Branansikt for a few reasons; one, it was a combination of two words: Brann and Ansikt, Fire and Face. So, my last name literally translates to Fire Face. At the time, I only was training with Fire, so I thought that it would be best to name it after my favorite element," she said. Elsa tilted her head slightly opening her mouth to ask a question.

"Have you always known that you could master all four?" she asked. Anna nodded her head.

"Yeah. My parents were originally going to teach me how to use all four, considering that they were both qualified to mentor in each. But unfortunately, I had only learned how to make a little ball of fire in my hand before my parents…," she said, averting her eyes, "You know. Anyway, in a certain kind of remembrance for what they were able to show me, my last name became Branansikt." She gave a sad smile, thinking back on her mother showing her how to do the little ball of fire that she called her Tiger Lily.

"I do miss them, Elsa. Even if I wasn't able to spend a lot of time with them, I do miss them like I lost them yesterday," she said., "Cherish your father. He might make you worry, but at the very least… He's here to make you worry." She gave a forlorn half-smile down at her mentor, who was looking at her oddly.

"What?" She asked, becoming slightly unnerved at how Elsa was looking at her.

"You didn't ramble." Elsa's voice came out soft, not in the slightest manner accusatory or teasing. She looked genuinely curious at this fact.

"I talked a lot, though," Anna replied, sitting up and taking interest in the table, "Which is basically the same thing, right?" Elsa's gentle chuckle sung through the air, and Anna felt her shift along with her.

"Not in the slightest, Anna. Talking a lot about one subject for a while is entirely different than going a mile a minute about fifteen different subjects in three breaths," she said, giggling behind her hand. Anna chuckled then, joining in with her laughter at the snide remark.

Anna turned and looked at Elsa; the sky blue of her eyes riddled with quiet mirth and the apples of her cheeks lifting them up slightly. Her hand was still up, a clear indication of her silent laughter along with the slightly movement of her shoulders

"Elsa?" She said quietly, gazing at the blonde in the eye. Her laughing gaze slowly became concerned as she dropped her hand; this was one of the first times she couldn't get a solid read on Anna's face, wondering if everything was okay.

What she did not expect was for Anna to lean in and give her forehead a peck, warm lips feeling like they almost searing against the smooth skin of her forehead. Her eyes widened and she froze, feeling shell-shocked from said experience.

"Thank you." She pulled back and gave her a lopsided grin, a light red tinging her ears and neck. "I think talking about my parents actually helped me more than you think." Her face turned serious.

"And Elsa? Please remember, I'm here for you as well. Should you ever need to talk about anything my ears are always open for you, just as yours were for me." She took Elsa's hand and gave it a squeeze, sending a reassuring smile her direction to back up her support as true. Elsa felt tears come to her eyes.

 _She's trying, so hard… Just let her in, goddamnit, start with something!_

"You-you don't have to," Anna said uncertainly, her thumb rolling over Elsa's knuckles, "I'm just putting the offer out there. There's no pressure for you to talk or-or anything at all. I get that some people take longer to trust someone than others." The statement both reassured and agitated Elsa. It took her a solid minute of deep breathing before she gained the courage to talk.

"I can at least give you an explanation," she said, "About why I'm so hesitant to talk about my mo –" She was cut off by the sound of the front door swinging open.

"Afternoon girls," said Agðar said, "Would the pair of you mind helping bringing groceries in?" They nodded their response and went outside, Janders staying inside with Elsa's father. Elsa looked over apologetically at Anna, who was picking up two bags.

"Another ti-time, perhaps," she said, her nervousness making her hands shake slightly. Anna nodded her head, understanding Elsa's external plight.

"Only when you want to, Frosty," she said, the use of Elsa's moniker making the blonde smile. They gathered the rest of the groceries and went inside, closing the door behind them. There was a bit of hacking from the downstairs bathroom, on the same floor that Anna slept on. Elsa quickly put down the bags she had been carrying onto the counter and rushed up to the bathroom.

"Papa? Are you alright?"

* * *

Agðar heard the question loud and clear, and was about to answer Elsa with an 'I'm alright, dear.', but was cut off by yet another coughing fit just as he caught his breath.

"Papa?" she asked again, more urgency filtering into her voice. He thumped his hand against his chest to make it seem like he merely had a piece of food caught in his throat. He gazed down angrily at the paper towel he held in his hand, as if it had caused this mess his body was in. As soon as he was sure that a fit was not about to return and he had wiped the blood from around his mouth off, he went over to the door and opened it.

"I'm alright, dear. I promise," he said tersely, giving a weak grin, "I just had some food caught in my throat." She scanned over his face, the deep cerulean gaze behind her glasses scouring, and for a moment he thought that he had missed some blood. His face was stoic, and in the end it paid off.

"Alright. Well, Anna and I finished bringing in the groceries, just to let you know. I'm gonna do some laundry after lunch, would you like me to do yours as well?" He shook his head, realizing that his bloody handkerchiefs were in his basket. He made sure that he moved his head normally, not so fast as to make his daughter suspicious. He knew that she read body language as if it were a book, and one wrong move could reveal that he was hiding something.

"That's fine, thank you dear," he responded, "I already have my laundry done for the week; I did it before I left." _A lie._ "If I need it done, I'll let you know." _Another lie._

She nodded her head before gathering hers and Anna's laundry from their respective rooms before going downstairs with Anna, each with a basket in hand. He released a breath of air and walked over to the counter, starting to put the groceries.

Once he was finished, he started putting on a pot of coffee, loading up the grinds into the filter. The smell of fresh brewed coffee began to filter throughout the air, the smell welcome and making his stomach rumble. On a particularly deep breath, he began hacking again, grabbing a paper towel from the roll.

And then, he realized something.

 _I have a load of laundry in the dryer. Fuck!_

He started downstairs as soon as his coughing fit was done, flying down the steps just a moment too late. Elsa was standing still, staring down at the stained cloth in her hand. Anna was looking owlishly at it, then up at Elsa's face.

Elsa slowly turned her head up at her father, knowing immediately of his presence from the loud thumping of him running down the steps. His grey gaze met her azure one, and both of their eyes widened; hers at the realization, his at that fact.

"Papa…," she whispered, "Are you sick?" Her lip trembled, a deep frown settling on her face. He found himself unable to formulate words, as if his vocal chords no longer could cooperate. Her gaze turned angry as her brows came together, the temperature in the room beginning to drop rapidly. Her eyes glowed a dangerous blue.

"Gods be damned, Papa, answer me!" she exploded. His eyes widened even further, an apology seeming to come across his eyes. His eyebrows came together as he broke eye contact, looking down.

"I can't, Elsa. Not right now," he said, looking up at her once more with a sorry gaze.

 _You motherfucking coward._

And then, he took off.

Elsa's body moved on instinct, moving at a speed that wasn't entirely possible for normal humans. Janders barked as they whizzed by, and her father had barely skated into the car as she ran outside. He locked the doors as she approached; she slammed into the driver's side door. Her eyes were glowing as if they were two neon light bulbs, the clouds forming overhead accompanied by a giant flurry.

The moment her fingertips touched the car, frost blasted across the windshield and windows. She reared back to punch in the windows, but soon her fury turned to concern as her father began to hack up blood onto a handkerchief he had just barely managed to rip out of his pocket. Her face softened as she retracted the Ice from his car, fingers pressed against the glass. She rested her forehead against the window, looking in at him.

"Why, Papa?" she asked, "Why didn't you tell me?" He looked over at her as his eyes misted over.

"Because I was not – no, I _am_ not – strong enough," he replied. He doubled over and hacked into his cloth yet again, a forceful cough that spurred up much blood from inside him. Her eyes watered as he unlocked the door, stepping out.

"Papa, you need to go to a hospital," she said, placing a hand on his chest. He nodded; now that his secret was out, there was no reason not to go. He fell over at that point, knees buckling as he fell to the ground. Anna rushed outside, in a bit of a tizzy after all the events that had transpired in just under two minutes.

"I'll drive," Anna said, "Just give me directions. Stay in the back with your dad." She took the keys from Agðar and they started on their way. He continued to cough, face screwing up every time he reached for his handkerchief.

"Make a left here, Anna," said Elsa. She looked down at her father and his fading consciousness. She pressed her forehead against his, hoping to transfer some semblance of comfort to him.

"Stay with me Papa, we're gonna be there soon," she said, "I promise. We'll make you better."

* * *

"So. The King is coming, destruction be unto the Order?"

"Yes. That is what the phrase means, Milady."

"Hm." Gita sat at her throne, the news that Sir Donald Sorsa's linguist had decoded the phrase that they had been trying to decipher for weeks now reaching her ears the night prior. Lord Mickey Luch stood before her, bearing much news of what had been occurring for these past few days.

"I said that same phrase to them, in the original tongue – and they responded to me with something else," he told her. Her eyebrows raised, awaiting the new piece of information to be given to her. He wracked his memory, unable to remember the phrase for a brief moment.

"Céimeanna an rí atá ag fás. Déanfaimid mbogann a dhéanamh go luath," he recited, "I already have given this tidbit to Donald. He and his linguist are trying to figure it out, but for now, all we can do is wait." She nodded, knowing there was not much she could do.

"At least we have a leader now… The King, he calls himself. This worries me, Mickey," she said to him. He nodded.

"Me too, Gita. Me too."

* * *

Rí sat next to Laoch, the two of them atop their respective thrones. An army of men stood before them, their size formidable and their loyalty unwavering. Today was a branding and training day.

"Should we attack soon, my King?" Laoch asked. Rí shook his head, his hood pushed back to reveal his face for the time being.

"No, not yet. We still need more of the Renacer if we are going to attack. How are our Generals faring with the recruits?" He asked, turning toward the bigger man to the right of him. Laoch smiled, pleased with his King for asking the question.

"Exceptionally well. From the reports that we are given, we can start sending far more out on missions," he said, "We have not made a move on any of the Lords and Ladies since Amira Jabari. My Special Ops grow restless with the the thirst of another Magus's blood; therefore, we may want to move forward with Plan C." Rí's gloved fingertips tapped against the arm of his throne, taking Laoch's proposition into consideration. He then shook his head.

"It is too early. We need to finish out Plan A and B before making another stride with Plan C. The only reason we ordered them to kill Jabari was to let the Order know that we are here and we are strong, without the Bloodhound knowing who _we_ exactly were," he replied. Laoch nodded, turning back to watch the training occurring before them. Their Spymaster, Blaine, came up to them and kneeled, hand over heart.

"Your Majesty, Lord Commander," he said, looking up at them, "I bear news of runaways."

"What?!" Laoch cried, shifting forward in his chair.

"Rise, Blaine," Rí said, far more composed than his Commander, "You speak of runaways. What does it seem that they've run away for?" Blaine rose to his feet and looked at his King.

"They wanted to prove their worth to you, so that they may move up in the Command Chain. They went to go kill Lord Mickey Luch in the middle of the night last night, Your Majesty," he said, "One of my Spiders from the Temple has told me that there is talk of a meeting to decide the fate of the attackers." He looked at the both of them for a few moments.

"I'll continue to report to you about what is happening to them, Your Majesty. It seems we haven't lost anyone valuable; just a few Mansings," Blaine continued, "But even Mansings have tongues. If you would take my counsel, Your Majesty, Lord Commander, I would send someone to kill them before they have a chance to spread their knowledge." Rí nodded.

"It would be best, I agree. Someone who can act out of line as they did can talk out of line as well," he said, turning to his Lord Commander, "Your men in the Special Ops thirst for blood, you say? Send one of them to the Temple to kill them with Bragsdar. No blood will be spilled, and it will be quiet. I do not want excess attention drawn to the man you intend to send." Laoch nodded, bearing a fiendish smile across his face.

"I know just the man, my King."

* * *

 **A/N:** _I really do love writing, you guys. While this was a tough chapter to write (at first), I had a ball writing the final part. I had to make myself feel every emotion I wrote in this chapter to keep it genuine; I hope it paid off!_

 **And now, for the reviews! (thank you to everyone who favorited, followed, reviewed and PM'd this past week. Y'all kick ass!)**

 **Strasza:** Damn, why does this story keep getting better with each chapter? Pretty soon, I wont be able to think of ways to describe how utterly amazing this is. Keep doing what you're doing.

 **Burns:** _As always, I thank you for your support. It means a helluva lot that you comment every week - it even gives me more to look forward to. I hope you enjoyed this chapter Strasza, you deserve it!_

 **(ch. 1) sedryn:** Alright, let's give this a try

 **Burns:** _Thank you for reading the first chapter, even if it was just that chapter. I hope that you've stuck through long enough to see how far I've been able to come as a writer, and that you get to see that I replied to you! Cheers, my friend, have a great week._

* * *

 _Alright everyone, I'll see you all next week!_ **~ Burns**


	17. Four to Ten

**Usual disclaimer.** _Yo, sorry for posting this so late today. I had my grandmom's retirement party all day. This is worth the wait (eventhoughitsangstfilledandipromisethattherewillbeeslannafluffnextchapterokaybye)! Also, a Umthakathi is an evil African witch._

* * *

Rí gazed upon the man that was brought before him. Laoch had recommended him as the man to be tasked with the job of killing the seven Mansings who were being held at the Temple. He was kneeling before him, dressed in a simple black button up and Khaki pants. His fist was over his heart, awaiting his King's command to rise.

"Rise, Oran," Rí said, commanding the cocoa-skinned man to his feet. Rí had never met Oran prior to this; so when he made eye contact with the shockingly bright green eyes the man had, he was almost startled. He had a long, thick scar over his left eye, and when he smiled at him, Rí could have sworn the man had fangs for canines. His long mane of black hair reached his mid-back, and facial hair of the same color lining his jaw; the man was an odd sort of handsome.

 _The kind that can kill._

Had he not been part of the Special Ops, he would have had him for one of his Interrogators.

"I hear that you have requested my skills for a mission, Your Majesty," he said in an oily voice. Rí nodded, confirming his question.

"Indeed. But first, I must hear of your background," he replied, "Who you were prior to the joining of the Ranganna an Rí and the taking of a new name?" The man frowned.

"Before coming into Your Majesty's service, I was a member of the Order. My name was Amada Okoye, but most knew me by my old moniker, Scar. I was the eldest son of Lutalo Okoye, and…," he crinkled his nose, "brother to Mufasa Okoye."

"I used to be of Fire, and my brother was of Earth. He and I feuded constantly – he was the golden child, the baby boy, the man who got all the attention that should have been set on _me_. He went on to be inducted into the Terra Magus, and I into the Ignis Magum. I made great strides in my Magic – but of course, that wasn't enough for Lutalo," he spat.

"Mufasa went on to have marry a woman named Sarabi and the two had a son, Simba. Little brat looked just like his father; golden skin, red hair and brown eyes. Mufasa settled down, content with his life," he said, nose crinkling with distaste, "I, on the other hand, was not."

"So what did you do?" asked Rí. Oran smiled unnervingly, eyes glinting a dangerous green.

"I joined an Uhakathi, Your Majesty. And he taught me all the Magic that the Order couldn't," he said, "I learned rather… untraditional ways of using my Energy. The Umthakathi taught me the act of Face Stealing." Rí quirked a brow.

"And please, do detail; what is 'Face Stealing?" Rí asked. Behind Oran, Laoch grinned wickedly. Oran's eyes glowed white before putting his hand over his face, smile disappearing last.

"So glad you asked, Your Majesty," he said, removing his hand. For the first time since becoming King, Rí was rendered completely and utterly speechless. Staring back at him was…

Himself.

Every detail of his face was mirrored onto the head of Oran, down to even the most minute curvature in his nose.

"What in the hell…"

Rí was terrified, confused, and intrigued all at the same time. Oran's eyes glowed white once more as he began to raise his hand to his face again, almost seeming to wipe away the guise of his King.

"Of course, given more time, I could have done a full body transformation. This is what I learned from the Umthakathi, Your Majesty," Oran said, smiling, "At the cost of a life. I had to kill someone that I had known for more than ten years; Face Stealing is a Blood Magic, and can only truly be used after one has killed. So my brother and I took a walk one day, to view the country – and what do you know, Your Majesty, a cliff just… appeared at my convenience."

"And I pushed Mufasa from that cliff, Your Majesty. The Order found out eventually, and I was excommunicated… Until the Lord Commander found me and gave me a place in the Special Ops. I am now at Your Majesty's command." Oran bowed and rose back up.

Rí liked this man.

He was a bonafide coldblooded killer, exactly the kind of man he needed for the job. The Face Stealing Magic was going to be useful on several occasions; this mission was one of them.

"I need you to go to the Temple. There are seven men there who were daft enough to get caught; they are known by the names Ota, Inys, Cein, Ungus, Pearce, Lun, and Corisa," he said, getting up from his throne and walking over to Oran, "I want it done as quietly as possible. Find one of the Temple servants – imprison them, kill them, I don't really care – and go under the cover of being them. I can see now that there should be no problem with that." He pulled a bottle of clear liquid out and swirled it around. It turned a light purple, faintly luminescent.

"Bragsdar," Oran said, "A perfect choice for a stealth mission, Your Majesty."

"Indeed. It will leave no trace in the autopsy and will kill them quickly and quietly. I would recommend dropping it in before they go to sleep," Rí replied. Oran nodded.

"Very well, Your Majesty. Consider the job done," he said. He bowed once more and took his leave.

"He's quite the character, is he not?" Laoch said, walking up beside Rí. The King nodded, looking over at the taller man next to him. For a moment, there was silence, the sound of metal clanging below them.

"Meet me in our chambers in fifteen minutes. You require a reward for bringing me such a talent," Rí said to him. Laoch's pupils dilated and he stood straighter.

"Yes, my King," he said. Rí leaned in close to him; he could smell Laoch's aftershave from this distance.

"And it will be a _very_ good reward," he murmured. He turned on his heel and went the other way, setting off in the direction of the East Corridor. Laoch's heart was pounding; with all the preparation they had done for the past few months, they had hardly gotten anytime to themselves.

"Break for lunch men, you've worked hard today!" He yelled down to the men in the training field. The nodded and saluted.

"Yes, Lord Commander!" They all shouted. The army turned and went toward the West Corridor, where the Mess Hall lay. As he headed toward the East Corridor, he could have sworn he could hear Rí already moaning from their chambers.

* * *

 _Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock_.

It was almost torture, waiting to hear what the doctor's thought about her father's condition. When she and Anna pulled up to the Arendelle Area Hospital, her father had paled and was on the verge of unconsciousness. Anna swung into a parking spot as soon as possible. Amidst the chaos in the car and Elsa's borderline hysteria, Anna was the calm in the storm. She gently scooped Agðar up and brought him into the ER, explaining to the lady at the front desk the situation. Elsa had never been more thankful for the redhead than she had in those moments; she had ensured her father's safety when Elsa herself could not.

 _Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._

"It's agony to wait," Elsa said, staring up at the clock that was mocking her with its ticking. Anna nodded and placed her hand on Elsa's.

"It's agony to wait," she repeated back to her. And it was; she was just anxious as Elsa in that regard, both for Elsa's dad and for Elsa herself. She knew that if Elsa were to lose her father that the result wouldn't be pretty. She didn't know if it would be like today, with her being so infuriated that her powers spiraled out of control, or if she would just go numb.

She prayed to Vita that it would be neither of the two.

"Elsa Isånd?" A nurse called. She stood up immediately, getting a slight headrush from how fast she had just moved.

"That's me," she said, a bit breathless.

"We're ready to see you," the nurse said, his eyes shifting to the ground. Elsa gulped before feeling a warmth slide into her palm.

"Hey," Anna said, "I'm here if you need me, and I'll be here the entire time. Okay?" Elsa couldn't meet her eye, but muttered out a thank you. The acknowledgement was all that she needed.

"Let's go," Elsa said. They started along down the hallway, the silence bearing down heavily on the pair. The nurse walked quietly ahead, looking for the door number.

"Here it is," he said as they walked up to room 184. Elsa took a deep, shaky breath, then went inside.

She was surprised to find that her father didn't look much different. His eyes were baggy, true, but aside from that and the paleness of his complexion he didn't seem too much different. However, she knew that on the inside he was getting torn to bits. The thought that she could do nothing to help him cut her down to her very core.

"Doctor Hamada will be with you in a few moments, Ms. Isånd," he said. She nodded mutely, taking in her father's features. She and Anna sat down in the bed beside him; Elsa took his hand in hers, hoping to somehow will him awake. It worked, somehow; he exhaled loudly and looked over at her, his grey green eyes interlocking with her blue ones.

"Hey, Papa," she said, voice cracking, "We're in the hospital, in case you couldn't tell by all the beeping." He chuckled, rubbing his thumb along her hand. He looked over at Anna in a way that politely asked her to leave. She nodded her head and rose, stepping out into the hallway to give them the privacy they deserved.

"I know," he said. His smile faded as he cleared his throat. "Elsa, I… I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I just… I didn't have the strength. I didn't want you being hurt, and without Mama here, I didn't have the willpower to do it on my own. I'm truly, truly sorry, Baby Girl. Please forgive me." Elsa's eyes were misted over by the end of the mini-speech. She got up and hugged her father gently, nodding against his shoulder before pulling back.

"You're the only one I have left. I can't stay mad at you, Papa. I just hope that the doctors come back and say that you'll be okay; it may be a foolish hope, but I can't imagine a life without you in it," she said, lip trembling. He gave a grimace that looked exactly like hers, no doubt a family trait. The thought made her even more sad. She sat back down in her chair, his hand still firmly in hers. There was a knock on the door before a man in a white coat came in and greeted them.

"Hello Mr. Isånd and Ms. Isånd. My name is Dr. Tadashi Hamada," he said, shaking both of their hands. He was a handsome fellow, tall and with a nice looking face. The expression in his eyes belied his smiling countenance, however. She began to dread what the doctors had to say.

"So… I'm sure you already knew beforehand about the cancer, Mr. Isånd." Agðar nodded mutely. Dr. Hamada took a deep breath, looking at Elsa first then Agðar.

"It has developed to Stage M1B, sir; meaning, other parts of your body aside from your lungs have cancer now as well. It's a severe form; since you rejected chemotherapy and radiation therapy early on, I'm not sure we can do much at this stage in the cancer. There are things we can do to ease the pain at this point – medication being one of the options – but aside from that, it will be very difficult and very expensive for you to try treatment," he explained. Elsa sat back in her seat, absolutely floored.

"It's terminal, the doctors told me in the beginning. So, Doctor – how long do I have left to live?" Agðar asked, surprised at himself for the bravery he needed to ask the question. Dr. Hamada pursed his lips.

"It depends on how fast the cancer spreads, really. At maximum, you have ten months, I'd say. At minimum, four. I'd recommend staying in the hospital from hereon out; of course, we can't detain you. If you'd like to go home after you're discharged, you have that option as well," he said. He looked to Elsa.

"However, if he decided to go home, you must take very good care of him. You'd have to make sure his movement was minimal, that he's fed properly and nutritiously, and that he breathes clean air," he explained. The doctor looked at the two of them.

"I'll let you two decide. When you're cleared for discharge, Mr. Isånd, please let me know what your final decision is." Agðar nodded. Dr. Hamada shook both of their hands again and took his leave. Many questions ran through her head.

"Why did you reject treatment, Papa?" she asked. He looked away guiltily.

"You'd find out if I would have. I didn't want to seem weak," he said

"And now, you're dying," she said. He flinched at her choice of words.

"And now, I'm dying." They looked at each other for a few moments, before he opened her arms. She broke down and started bawling, crawling into bed next to him. He rubbed up and down her back, soothing her in the way that he used to when she was younger.

"Don't leave me, Papa, _please_ ," she said. His voice caught in his throat.

"I can't promise you I won't, but I _can_ promise you that I will make the most of my time left with you. We'll go down to Arendelle and look at the Ice Sculptures like we did when you were little," he said, smiling at the memories, "And you can even make some for me now, too. I promise, Elsa, our time together will _not_ be wasted." She calmed down a wee bit, but the fact that she had a limited amount of time with him made her forlorn.

" _Cherish your father. He might make you worry, but at the very least… He's here to make you worry."_ She knew this phrase was more true now than ever, Anna's words bearing down on her heavily. She had taken the time they had for granted, but no longer.

 _Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._

Now, she would make every tick and every tock count.

* * *

Finding the targets was easy enough. Taking a servant was as well. While he had to watch the servant for a little bit before taking him hostage, the man was easy enough to figure it out. He was the man taking the meals to the seven dunces that had gotten themselves caught; his name was Noa. Oran felt the warm bottle of Bragsdar in his pocket as he stealthily captured him; one swift punch to the temple and he was knocked out. Oran dragged him to an abandoned shed that he had found in the woods by the Temple. His eyes glowing white, he made his body transform in about a half an hour. He stole the clothes of the servant's body, putting them on his own person and shrugging into them.

He tied the young servant to the chair and put a gag in his mouth, making sure that he would not awaken anytime soon. Swiftly, he walked up to the Temple and walked among the servants, the bottle of Bragsdar now tied and secured against his left thigh.

"Hello, Noa," one of the female servants said, blushing. He smiled warmly, a mannerism he had learned that Noa did.

"Hello," he said, voice deep and not his own, "As much as I would like to talk, I have to give the prisoners their dinner. I hope you understand." She nodded and scurried along. He contemplated whether he should kill the idiots tonight or tomorrow, after their verdict would be received. He decided to do the later option, just for the fun of the game. He quickly got their food and brought it down to them, taking in their features to remember each of them tomorrow.

Tomorrow, they would die, no matter if the weak-willed Magi and that bitch-for-peace Ultimum Maleficus sentenced them to or not.

* * *

 **A/N:** _yeah. That happened. I promise that next chapter will be happier, and perhaps even THE chapter... take that as you will. No promises though!_

 **And now, for the reviews! (Thanks to everyone who favorited, followed, commented and PM'd. Y'all kick ass!)**

 **Strasza:** This is getting rather interesting, Elsa's finally opening up, her dad is probably going to die, and we have new info on the X-Rebels. If my fantasy warfare knowledge is correct, then the hypothetical death of Elsa's dad will somehow allow her to reach her true potential. Other than that, I shall wait until next week to see what happens in the world of Magical Soap Operas.

 **Burns:** _Maybe. I hope I haven't disappointed with this week's installment of the Magical Soap Opera!_

 **PenguinVuelve:** I started reading your fic yesterday and it was awesome! I wonder when they'll be on another date :P. I also have seen that you're reading also others fics that I love . Hope the best for your imagination and yourself!

 **Burns:** _Au contraire monsieur, I foresee another date in their future... You know, as soon as Elsa can move past the crippling grief of her father being diagnosed with Stage IV cancer._

 **The Myth Rider:** This is coming along great, as an experienced world builder who's also a huge sucker for it, I only get happier with each chapter. I'm glad Elsa finally knows about her father, if only because now they can deal with it together. Though I confess, I have that thing where you imagine other people's pain happiness to yourself, so the blood-coughing is really getting to me, hehehe.

Hmm...wait, something not right... *looks behind me* Uh-oh...no, oh no! The story is too good! My Frozen OC has broken my barrier and now he knows! Shit! BACK YOU GREAT WHITE ASS, THIS ISN'T YOUR STORY, BACK TO THE PIT FROM WHENCE YOU CAME.

 **Burns:** _Hahaha man, I was cracking up while reading this. It's also called empathetic feeling (when you can feel other people's happiness/pain). Thank you so much for the compliment; your stories are awesome too! I'm currently reading_ Trials by Beasts I: Frost & Snow _and I'm really enjoying it so far!_

 **(okay MidnightNightm3re left four reviews this week and Imma put all four and then answer all four in the same paragraph):** 1\. (ch.1) Ok... I am absolutely in love with your brain and imagination... completely hearteyed right now.

2\. (ch.2) First I think making a mythology story and a Latin words glossary will be a great idea. And also name the gods you mentioned and what they do... will there only be 4 gods? For each element? Secondly in my opinion third person is the best POV to write in. Challenging but much nicer to write and read.

Lastly... did you conjure this absolutely wonderful world up? What was your inspiration?

3\. (ch.3) Ok is jy Netherlands of Suid Afrikaans? Dis so verstommend om dit uit te vind! Ek het heeltemal vergeet wat ek wou sê.

4\. (ch.8) The whole review thing sucks. But I love this story so I guess ima just be sticking it out.

 **Burns:**

1\. _Thank you so so so much! I really take that to heart :)_

2\. _Okay, cool. I'll try and put it on my tumblr (_ **therealburnsx3** _) within the next week, if I can. I'm a tad bit busy so I might not be able to; that said I'll try to answer the immediate questions. There are actually 5 gods: Vita is the supreme goddess; Floriana is the goddess of Earth; Chara is the goddess of Water; Otho is the god of Fire; and Plinius is the god of Air.I did conjure this world up on my own. it just came to me one night while I was chillin' in my bed, not doing my homework and thinking of things to do. I've always enjoyed writing and fantasy was my strong suit; that said, the ideas for the Elementals came to me. I didn't really have inspiration; but this story grows with me as I grow as a writer, and I've included things in there that I've drawn inspiration from in other aspects. For example, Bragsdar is a play off of Essence of Nightshade from Game of Thrones. I also disagree with the fact that Anna seems so... normal and cast aside in so many different fics. Yeah, she might not have been affected by anything in the movie, but I think that she's really the only one truly immune to Elsa's powers, and that within its own right makes her special. So I wanted to make her special in mine, because she really, truly is._

3\. _Ek is eintlik ook nie! Ek is Amerikaans, en net soos om ander tale aan te leer. Hoe meer dinge ek kan praat, hoe meer mense kan ek my stories deel!_

4\. _Yeah, but people have been reviewing more recently and it makes me incredibly happy!_

* * *

 _Alright guys, that's all for this week. I'll see you next time!_ **~ Burns**


	18. The Stories We Write

**Usual disclaimer.** _Heh. Have fun with this chapter._

* * *

Noa slowly stirred, his chocolate brown eyes taking in his surroundings. He could tell by the light filtering through the grey curtains that it was later in the morning, possibly around ten. The floor provided no comfort to his barefeet or undergarment clad body, the cool tile making his body shake. The walls around him were dim and dank, mold creeping its way toward the window pane to his left.

When he began to take notice of his physical conditions, he felt the gag in his mouth strain him in his breathing. His wrists felt raw from the chafing of rope against them, and his ankles the same; his behind was numb, aching from sitting so long on the palm tree chair. When he tried to move, a searing pain shot its way through his leg and temple, a grimace etching its way onto his young face.

"... I understand, Your Majesty, but please understand that I have everything in order. Once they go to sleep, it will be for good." Noa did not recognize the slick voice from outside of the supposed hut that he was in. He stayed very still, entirely aware at this point that he had likely been kidnapped. The front door opened and a man walked in wearing the clothes that Noa wore to dinner last night. The man locked gazes with Noa, a piercing green that scorched the young man's eyes to the point where even his soul felt burnt.

"Your Majesty, I must go. I have some business to attend to, you see," he said smoothly into the phone he was holding up to his face. A wicked smile cracked his visage like an earthquake, and the cocoa-colored man sauntered his way over to Noa. The Temple servants lips stung as his captor ripped the gag out of his mouth, the chapped pieces of skin falling off at the roughness.

"Answer my questions, and you will drink and eat," the man said. Noa nodded, willing to comply to the raven haired man in front of him. He knew who held the power in this situation, and guessing by the fact that no one had found him yet, he assumed that they were too far away from the Temple or civilization to try to put up a fight.

"Firstly, when is the trial for the prisoners who were caught by the Terra Magus?" he asked.

"The twelfth strike," Noa replied, voice raspy from disuse. The man nodded, shoving the tip of a canteen into Noa's mouth. He drank quickly, almost to the point of dry drowning. Water almost hit the man when Noa choked, sputtering out some of the liquid. While his coughing fit died down, the man twisted the cap back onto the container.

"Very good. Next, would you normally be present during the delivery of the verdict?"

"Yes." The man pulled out some saltine crackers from his pocket and shoved three into Noa's mouth. He chewed hungrily, the taste of salt like heaven against his taste buds.

"Perfect. Finally, what foods and drinks do the prisoners normally have?"

"Water for drink, soup and bread for food." Noa was willing to be compliant for the time being, picking up on the fact that this man was dangerous and that he was in no position to attempt to take him on.

"If you are good throughout the next day, I will free you and you can be on your merry way, free to go back to the Temple. But if I hear _anything_ about you uttering my appearance or name, I will come back, chop off your cock and feed it to you. Are we clear?" the man said with a sickeningly sweet smile. Noa nodded submissively, his matted black curls coming to hang in front of his face.

"Now, time for you to go back to sleep." There was a brief flash of pain as he felt a knuckle whack his temple, the world going black.

* * *

Oran smiled as he finished his transformation, the skin stretched and muscles toned as he shrugged into his new body. The boy, Noa, was knocked out once more in the chair that Oran had found, docile and clearly not looking for a fight. Oran smiled, the knowledge that he had been given being able to produce a fresh image for the new 'Noa'.

He swiftly made his way through the brush, the eleven o'clock hour only providing him with a margin of time to act. He had information to find out, and he knew that his King and Lord Commander would reward him prettily if he was successful in acquiring it.

Finally, he pushed the last leaves out of the way, the Temple coming into view as he made his way toward it. The necklace he wore around his neck thumped against his collarbones, his bare feet digging into the ground as he stepped onto the first stair.

When he reached the top of the white marble steps and walked inside, he found the kitchen chambers and set to work. The Bragsdar was still strapped around his thigh, but he did not want to use it at the moment. That would be for later. For now, he wanted to see how much information they had sacrificed to the Magi. He had learned from observing Noa that the boy was a cook, but also a man of the Terra Magus.

Oran naturally felt a severe disdain for Noa, and had it not been for the fact that he had been given easy access to the prisoners by stealing his face, he would not have even bothered with the sore bastard in the first place. But alas, some things had to be done for the mission. And, currently, he needed to refocus himself on the thing that he needed to get done now. A portly man walked into the kitchen, eyes dark and lips pointing downward. If his memory served him correctly, this Jipalo, one of Noa's best friends.

"Jipalo," said Oran, "Is something troubling you, my friend?"

"Indeed, brother," Jipalo replied, setting to work on tenderizing some meat. "There has been some news on the seven prisoners that has been troubling me." Oran's ears perked at that, and he turned his head towards the cook.

"What do you mean?" Jipalo looked over at him and frowned deeper.

"While I suppose this is good news, we have found out more information on the X-Rebels. They are apparently called the King's Ranks, or…" He tilted his head toward the ceiling, thinking of the actual name that he had heard.

"Well, I can't seem to remember the actual name for them. We weren't able to get any numbers from them; how many people are in their ranks, how many people there are, how many locations. But we were able to get a sure name for the group." He pounded the meat extra hard after that sentence.

"I just didn't like the means that we had to get the information out of them with. Lord Luch pleaded mercy for them, and the Lady Ratulemen agreed."

 _Of course she did,_ though Oran, _she's too damn soft to be a leader. This is why we need His Majesty. He'd rule with a tough fist._

"So they tortured them as opposed to killing on spot." Oran's eyes widened incrementally, his hand stopping the cutting of carrots he was currently doing.

"I'm surprised. She is a kind leader; an attack on a Magi constitutes death typically, doesn't it?" Jipalo chuckled for a moment.

"What?" Oran asked, internally becoming impatient.

"I am just surprised you used such a large word, brother. It is unlike you to do so," Jipalo replied, mirth settling down, "However… it typically does mean death; only outside of the Order though. Inside would just be excommunication. But they needed the information about the King's Ranks, this time, so they kept them alive. I expect that after the trial today, they will not be alive for much longer."

"Agreed," he said, turning back to the vegetables he was cutting. The Bragsdar felt warm against his thigh, and had Jipalo not been there he would have smiled widely."May Horatius judge them justly."

* * *

 _Swipe left._

 _Duck._

 _Weave._

 _Throw a punch. Don't make it hurt._

 _Throw a jab._

 _Fuck. She's distracted; this is no condition for her to be training me in!_

Elsa and Anna had been at hand-to-hand combat training for a little while now as part of Anna's physical warm up. It was a good workout indeed – when Elsa was able to concentrate. With the news of her father, she had been distant these past few days. Anna didn't want to press the issue; she knew that Elsa was going through a trying time, and anything she could do to comfort her was taken in great care.

However, Elsa's form was very unstable, unlike how it usually was; her punches were weak and imprecise, and her blocks were failing. This was not the strong, smart fighter that could predict her moves with quick calculation. This was a weakened warrior, distracted by the battles she had seen others suffered. Her eyes were frequently clouded over, and she seemed to only focus on Anna every once in awhile.

This was a frightened Elsa.

When Elsa threw her next punch, Anna caught her fist in her hand, knowing that it would grab Elsa's attention and stop the fight simultaneously. Elsa snapped back to reality then, fixating her light blue gaze on Anna's teal one. Anna noticed, in those few moments, how Elsa's eyes had been steadily going from sky blue to a more icy, silver-blue coloration. She wondered if it had anything to do with the currently loose grasp she had on her emotions.

"Anna, what are you doing?" she asked, clearly surprised at Anna's actions. The redhead lowered their fists, letting go of Elsa's hand and unstrapping the velcro of her own gloves. She took off both before looking back up at Elsa.

"Stopping our training for the day, Elsa. Your thoughts are elsewhere, currently; with good reason, of course. You need a mental health day, Els. I appreciate the fact that you want to train me, but you can't take care of the both of us at the same time. Focus on you before we get back to me," she said. She pointedly looked down at Elsa's still gloved hands, waiting for her to take them off. Elsa sighed and conjured a chair of Ice, tossing the gloves on the floor next to her. She donned a frown upon her face, an unwelcome sight that had marred her beautiful features far too much as of late.

"Thanks, Anna. I appreciate that," she said quietly, looking down at her clasped fingers and fiddling with her thumbs. The redhead likewise created an Ice chair across from her, crossing her legs over one another. The silence hung between them like a snowflake before the blizzard.

"... Elsa, if you want to talk about what's going on with your dad, you're more than welcome to. Even if it's just how you're feeling about the whole thing, you know you –"

"I've never felt so alone, Anna," Elsa interrupted. The proclamation surprised both the blonde and the redhead, neither used to such vulnerability. Anna leaned forward, wanting to show Elsa that she was just as willing to listen to her after Elsa had listened to the story of Anna's parents. Elsa's lips trembled; one, for the fear of opening up; two, for the fear of what would happen if she did.

"It's alright, Elsa; you can talk to me." Elsa glanced up and was met with one of the kindest gazes she had ever looked upon, full of all the warmth and care in the world. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she pushed onward.

"I… I know I have Tonna and all, who's like my mom, and I know that I have Janders – but my father, he's really, _truly_ the only person I have left. I have no family living left; my grandfather died years ago, my grandmother passed away before I was born, and I have no aunts or uncles. My mother… I was a year old when she passed away," Elsa said, looking down, "and while I worry endlessly about him, and he can annoy me to no end, I love my father with my entire being.

"I was too young to really comprehend my mother's death, you know? I just know that for a while, it was my dad and I on our own. We struggled, Anna. We struggled so much. He built this house for us because we had _nothing_ , because we were given _nothing_. My dad raised us up because he wanted us to be something, he wanted _me_ to be something. For Vita's sake, Anna, he hid the fact that he was living with cancer for Gods know how many months or weeks or days and he didn't mention a single thing to me so I wouldn't freak out.

"While it's stupid of him to do that, he didn't want me to be hurting. So he lived quietly with the burden of knowing that I would find out eventually, and that he would have to hold out as long as he could to keep me from being sad. Despite the outcome, it was intended to be a selfless act.

"My father and I had each other and _only_ each other for the longest time. While I treasure everyone, there is no one that has been more permanent than my father. Not Tonna, not Janders, not _anyone_. My dad has been the one thing to keep me grounded and sane through all of my years and struggles, through our separation due to my out of control powers. My dad has been my number one fan, my head cheerleader, my happy place in most cases. He's been my rock, my foundation.

"And Anna, I'm so _scared_. I'm terrified. I'm so fucking terrified of losing the one permanent thing in my life and the only person I have ever felt has really understood me on a level that others couldn't. I'm scared of not having anyone be always here, of someone that I could always call. I'm scared of not being able to have a foundation or a rock, or a cheerleader, or a happy place.

"Anna, I'm terrified of being alone. I'm so fucking fearful of being on my own. I'm so scared that when my dad leaves, there will be nobody left to keep me grounded or sane, nobody to look at the Ice sculptures with me.

"I'm scared that I will just be existing, with no roots for me to call home," she finished. Elsa felt so many things at once: fear, sadness, nostalgia, and most of all, relief. There had been so many thoughts piled inside of her head now for the past Gods know how many days that she had just not spoken out loud. She supposed this is what Anna felt like when she talked about her parents.

Anna, on the other hand, had tears in her eyes. Her heart went out to Elsa; she knew what it was like to feel alone in this world and like everything was against you, and she would never wish that feeling of lostness upon anyone. However, she had been found by people that she had grown to love as she got older who became her new family; a family that had a bond stronger than blood. They had helped her write her own story once her family could not.

She had a place where she belonged.

And she would be damned if Elsa didn't.

"Elsa," she said softly, "Hold out your right hand please, palm up." Elsa quizzically obeyed her command, feeling the familiar warmth of Anna's hand in her own. Anna pressed her thumb into the center of Elsa's palm, and the blonde felt the most incredible sensation. A wonderful heat made itself known in tendrils that wrapped their way around her limbs, spiraling around until she felt it grasp her heart in the most delightful way.

When Anna pulled her thumb back, there was a glowing insignia on her palm of a tiger lily, which began to fade quickly. Anna knew they had to be quick if this was going to happen correctly.

"Elsa, do you trust me?" she asked. She knew it was a loaded question, but she needed an answer quickly. Luckily for her, the blonde nodded.

"Then let me do this." She took Elsa's palm and pressed against the skin on her chest above her heart. The feeling of life beneath Elsa's hand was a breath of fresh air, but she knew that she shouldn't focus on that by the look in Anna's eye.

"Channel all your Magical Energy into the points where you feel the insignia. Quick, Elsa, there isn't much time." She said, in a calm but urgent tone. Elsa did as she was commanded, and made sure that it happened. She was met was another crazy feeling, and this time felt something switch within her. Anna looked at her right hand and watched as a snowflake insignia appeared; looking at Elsa in the eyes briefly, she pressed her hand above Elsa's heart just as she had Elsa do just a few moments ago.

They both felt the shift. It felt as though their hearts were synced, both literally and figuratively. Elsa watched in amazement as a white streak appeared in Anna's hair, running from root to tip through her right pigtail braid. When Anna removed her hand, Elsa did too.

"Look at your heart, Elsa," she said, pulling down the hem of her shirt just slightly. There was a faint outline of a snowflake; for Elsa, a tiger lily. Her head snapped up to Anna, her face inquisitive as to what just occurred. Anna smiled at her, a kind look that Elsa needed right now.

"It's called Cor Scripturam, otherwise known as Heart Writing. It creates an unbreakable bond for two people, syncing their hearts and souls together for the rests of their lives. The insignia in your palm will glow when the other is in trouble, and you can always let each other know you're thinking of the other or want the other when you press your palm to your heart," she explained, "This way, Elsa; even if your father does pass away, you _will_ always have someone.

I might be brash and hotheaded, even a pest sometimes; but I care about you Elsa, and I care about you _a lot_. I never want to see you be in the position I was as a young child, wandering around with no one to call my own. I didn't deserve it, and Gods be damned if you do," she said, a ferocity coming into her voice, "Elsa, I promise you; from this day forward, you will _never_ be alone again." She put a hand over her heart, and the insignia over Elsa's heart glowed.

"I will be right here." She removed her hand and took Elsa's in her own.

Elsa thought back, for a moment, when she listened to Tonna telling her about Soul Weaving.

 _It's when two souls are made and interwoven into the fabric of each other's lives. If you believe in soulmates, this would be akin to it. Two souls are born into the fabric of space and time, and are created for each other, meant always to be together; bodies can be recycled, but in Soul Weaving, the souls always find a way back to each other. The Gods craft these two souls for each other, and each soul has an Amor Meam, or ability to find their love, no matter the distance._

She gave Anna a watery smile, swallowing thickly. The redhead's face faltered, and for a moment she had thought that the Heart Writing was a bad idea.

"Elsa, what-what's the matter? Did I do something wrong?" The blonde shook her head.

"No, Sweet Anna. You did something right," she said, " _everything_ right."

Finally, as if compelled by some unseen force, Elsa cupped Anna's face gave her one more smile, leaned in, and kissed her.

* * *

 **A/N:** _This was, by far, my favorite chapter to write so far. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I also want to thank you guys real quick: I got a lot of reviews this week and I could not. Stop. Smiling. You guys are fantastic people that I am so thankful for to have as my reader base. Thank you for sticking with me since the shitty beginning of this story. You guys rock._

* * *

 **And now, for the reviews! (thanks to everyone who fav'd, followed, PM'd and reviewed this week. Y'all kick ass!)**

 **Strasza:** I thought it was impossible to make Scar even more of a psychotic badass than he was in the Lion King, I am pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong. The only thing to make this story better is if Frollo is in this as a villain. I'll be back next week, in the meantime, keep on keeping on.

 **Burns:** _Thanks! I really tried to make Scar seem like a man without a conscience - which, of course, he is - and I'm glad I succeeded. Frollo has a place in this story, as do Esmeralda, Phoebus, and Quasimodo. I really wanted to put them in, especially since this year we are doing The Bells of Notre Dame as part of the music in our Marching Band show. All in due time, my friend, all in due time..._

 **PenguinVuelve:** Hey! Glad to see you again. I hope they spend their time in the most amazing way without risking Agdar's life. See you soon!

 **Burns:** _Hello! Good to see you too. They will, certainly; both Agðar and Elsa aren't really people for taking huge risks. See you next week!_

 **MidnightNightm3r3:** 1\. (ch. 12) SMUUUUT! MUST HAVE ME SOME SMUT! Lol. I got nothing to say but amazing chapter!

2\. (ch. 13) I love a slow smolder of emotions before the eruption. (Yes that is a reference to a volcano... speaking of which... do you think that once anna masters terra magus can she pleeeaaase have lava powers like a combination of the two?! IT WILL BE SO FREAKING AWESOME! !) Anyways absolutely wonderful.

3\. (ch. 14) Ok... totally having a fangirl freak out! Now she MUST have lava powers...dunno how or when she's gonna use lava but that will be SO EPIC!

4\. (ch. 17) Lol... I just came straight to the reviews once I read your A/N. The word in South African English is actually Tagati derived from the Zulu word Umthakathi the plural is Abathakathi if you wanna use that lol. _ Sorry if I offended but thought you'd like some more knowledge :') My grammar nazi brain just had to help out. I think it's supper cool that you used that word lol. And in Zulu Mythology where greek has nymphs and the European folklore have fairies or fae they have Tokoloshes (little dwarf-like creatures). Can't wait for the next update. I think I'm having withdrawal symptoms...

 **Burns:** 1\. _Consider it done... ;) and thank you!_

2\. _I can't tell you whether she is or isn't going to have Lava powers, but she can and will master every aspect of the four Elements... And Lava happens to be a subdivision of Earth..._

3\. _;)_

4\. _Thank you! I'm not offended at all; you corrected my bad information, I can't be mad at that :) Tokoloshes sound sick, maybe I'll try and find a way to incorporate them into my story! Also, thank you. Here's the update, I hope I helped with the symptoms!_

 **(Guest)** **Gg:** Wow. It's definitely getting better. I remember starting this a while ago and deciding that two chapters were more than enough. Revisiting it and reading all the way here means that you have defs upgraded your writing. Nice job. Like the intrigue. It helps make the romance less sappy

 **Burns:** _I know man. I hate the first two chapters with a burning passion and have debated upon deleting them_ **so. Many. Times.** _They just aren't reflective of my current writing ability and it pisses me off. However, I thank you for giving it another read and enjoying it. I also agree with you about the intrigue - I like counteracting typical romantic writing cliches with my plot line, and it also makes it much more fun for me as an author to write._

 **The Myth Rider:** First off, this was great and I loved how you included Scar into the story, very nice, me likey. I had a feeling Anna's words were going to get heavier quickly, and now they have. Alas, hopefully Anna can help Elsa enough once the inevitable occurs. I have to say though, I don't know if it's your writing, my being a sap, or both, but I quickly became attached to Noa and concerned about his fate now...minor character or no, hehehehe. Imagine Birger's smug grin once I got the notifications of you finding his story. I wasn't expecting such a quick and gratifying response like that, but knowing him ''twas to be expected. Despite how much grief he causes me, literally everyone else who knows him loves him. You should see his blog on tumblr...he actually managed to convince me to make one for him...

 **Burns:** _Thank you! A lot of people seemed to like Scars inclusion in the story, which makes me hella happy. And don't worry, they will always have each other from hereon out, for better or worse... And btw, Birger quickly became a favorite character of mine. He's so snarky and never fails to crack me up. PM me about his tumblr; I'll be sure to follow!_

* * *

 _Alright everyone, I'll see y'all next time (also, I feel like I should mention the fact that I'm actually not from the South. I just enjoy saying y'all XD)!_ **~ Burns**


	19. Like the Small Winter Sun

**Usual disclaimer.** _Am I a day late? Yes. Is it unfortunate? Of course. Could I help it? No. I had my cousin's wedding this weekend and a shit ton of homework, along with temporary writer's block. It was not a good mix. I would rather be day late and feel like I have given you the best possible content I can as opposed to popping it out always on time and having some chapters shitty. That said, thanks for bearing with me. I hope it was worth the wait!_

* * *

It was nothing like what Anna had expected; or maybe, it was _everything_ that she had.

In the moments that Anna was frozen with shock from Elsa pressing her beautiful, beautiful lips against her own, she memorized the feeling of Elsa's mouth against hers. How the contour of her lips fit perfectly against her own, how the blonde's lips were cool, but not nearly as cold as Ice; they were the kind of cold that's like walking into an air conditioned room on a hot day after having braved the desert; they were the kind of cold that feels like a clothed ice pack on a bruise; they were the kind of cold that reminded Anna of the feeling of gently falling snowflakes against her skin, kind and soft and gentle and _wonderful_. Elsa's lips were the kind of cold that made you thankful for the heat so that you can _feel_ the cold.

And when it registered to Anna that Elsa was kissing her, the feeling that erupted in her chest was like an explosion, a firework of emotions that both captured her chest and spread throughout her body, the sparks igniting and firing every neuron and synapse in Anna's brain that she had to offer, and she promptly reacted.

Even though her mind told Anna to pull Elsa to her roughly and kiss her senseless, she knew this was not the time nor place to do so. So she responded with her heart, and began to kiss Elsa back – softly, gently, like the small winter sun melting snowflakes slowly on the sidewalk in January. She raised her hands, shaking from adrenaline and euphoria, and rested them like feathers over Elsa's own chilled hands, eventually sliding her left hand down the blonde's arm and around her waist. Elsa's breath frosted over her lips as she took a breath, resting her forehead against Anna's.

They stayed like that for a few moments, hot pressing against cold in peaceful quiet; the quick, shuddering breaths being drawn telling the other that they were both nervous and excited and scared and unafraid and _free_. The issue of Elsa's father had not disappeared, not in the slightest; but now the burden of the inevitable could be shared, could be dealt with. Now Elsa didn't have to sob to herself at night, crying tears that stained her pillowcase and left invisible scars on her face because of a fate that is impossible for one person to bear alone; now, she had someone she could talk to, someone that she could tell that she was scared and that she didn't want to face this alone. That she didn't want to _be_ alone.

And now, she never would be.

The mere thought made her crash her lips against Anna's. There was more of an urgency to this kiss, more of an exploratory feeling. Anna was _radiating_ warmth against Elsa, and it drove her wild. She settled herself in the redhead's lap, wanting to be as close to her as possible. She released the many emotions she had felt toward the redhead at that time – lust, happiness, relief, desire, gratitude. Elsa lightly bit on Anna's lower lip and Anna released a shaky breath, eyes fluttering closed at the sensation. Before Elsa could reattack her lips, however, she moved her head back slightly, reopening her eyes and locking eyes with Elsa.

The blonde's pupils were dilated, nearly black blown, only a tiny sliver of sky blue left.

 _Sky blue. They're back to their normal color._

Anna took Elsa's hand from her cheek and intertwined their fingers, peppering kisses all over the back of Elsa's hand and her fingers and knuckles. She removed her arm from around Elsa's waist and moved it toward her mid back, pulling the blonde closer to her and resting her chin on her shoulder.

"From hereon out, Elsa," Anna said, "I will always be here for you." Elsa pulled back and looked at her with the faintest hint of a smile.

"Always?" she asked. Anna felt tears come to her eyes as Elsa quoted what her parents said to each other on their first date. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she nodded.

"Always." She pecked Elsa on the lips again, and again, and again, now starting to smile more and laughing at a raspberry like noise that accidentally came between their lips when Anna put a little too much air pressure behind a kiss. When she began to sweat a little bit, she pulled back and they both looked up; like how it was when Anna had hugged Olaf, there was steam steadily rising between the pair of women. The both tilted their heads back and released a peal of laughter at the occurrence.

This was a much different sensation than anything that Anna had ever experienced; she had kissed others before, so it wasn't the actual act that had taken her by surprise. It was the sheer power behind every emotion that she felt pass between their breaths and words and lips. She had a few people in her past that she had experimented with, and some that she had even really liked; but _none_ of them could hold a candle to this indescribable feeling that Anna felt for Elsa.

They just sat there for a few moments, basking in the other's presence and the knowledge that they had each other now. Elsa pressed her right hand to her heart, and the snowflake insignia glowed bright between them. Elsa smiled, leaning in to place a kiss on Anna's forehead.

"Thank you, Anna," she said. Anna cupped her cheeks gently and made their eyes meet, giving her a warm smile and bringing Elsa's hand over her heart.

"Never thank someone for something that was always yours."

* * *

When Olaf caught wind of their kiss, he (for lack of better term,) freaked the fuck out.

"I _kneeeew_ that you liked her, Elsa!"

"I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!"

"You kept telling me that I was being silly, but I knew that I was right!"

" _Alright,_ Olaf! I get that you knew it," Elsa yelled, eye twitching. Anna watched bemusedly from the couch, an entertained expression dancing across her face. She chuckled quietly, watching the creator and the creation banter with one another about the fact the Elsa had, indeed, liked Anna this whole time.

"Yeah, but you always told me to be quiet about it! What's the jig with that, Elsa?" he asked. The blonde's face grew more and more red with every passing moment.

"I mean, whenever she wasn't around, you talked about her, like that one time she caught you before you went out the door and you guys landed on a tuft of snow? You wouldn't stop talking about that for weeks! Or when you found out that you were going to be her mentor? By Vita, that was an exciting time for you," he said. At this point, Elsa was comparable to a tomato. Her exposed fawning over her pupil was something that she didn't ever want to be discussed.

 _Though,_ she thought, _telling Olaf wasn't the greatest idea I've ever had…_

"Olaf, shut. Up." She said, voice low and dangerous. He took no notice, the obliviousness that he always had making him closer and closer to the edge of Elsa's temper. There was a loud snort from the couch, and Elsa looked over at the current occupant.

Anna's lips were pressed into a line that said that she was clearly fighting a smile, since the apples of her cheeks were almost up, along with the corners of her mouth, and making her eyes scrunch. When her eyes met Elsa's she looked like a young child that had been caught stealing the cookies from the jar. Elsa extended her left palm and wiggled her fingers, a ball of Snow and slush forming quickly. Anna's eyes widened comically, her jaw dropping open and the her hands coming up to protect her from the onslaught that was about to happen.

"C'mon now, Elsa, no need for that…," she began, only to be cut off by the flinging of the ball in her face. She flew backwards a few inches, legs pointing skyward as she let off a great "oof!" Elsa released a peal of laughter at the new position she found her pupil in.

"Aw, Elsa; you can really see how much you like her– Ouch!" Olaf was soon discombobulated by the Ice ball that was hurled at his midsection, his head falling onto the bottom partial of his body.

"Guys, I think you got a little taller," Olaf said matter-of-factly, "I didn't think growth spurts happened that quickly in humans." Anna sat up and wiped the slush from her face, her sweatshirt now soaked with melted snow; Janders decided to help with the process, licking the droplets from Anna's arms and hands. Noticing what happened with Olaf, Anna rolled her eyes at Elsa and got up to help the poor snowman.

"They don't, Olaf. Here, let me help you out." She retrieved his midsection and repositioned his head atop his now-full body. He giggled that cute little giggle he always did, taking note that the two people before him were now back to their normal sizes.

"There we go," he chortled. Anna moved back over to Elsa, a hand on her hip and face determined.

"Take it away, or else I tackle you." Elsa's face donned a smirk.

"You act as if I would be opposed to that, Anna." The redhead's face turned as strawberry as her hair. She mumbled something under her breath, huffing and jutting her lip out in an adorable pout. Elsa eventually conceded with a laugh and poofed the water in Anna's clothing away, pouring herself a glass of water.

"So, are you guys girlfriends now?" Olaf asked. Elsa choked on her drink, almost sputtering the contents in the air. As soon as she recovered, Anna spoke in her absence of speech.

"Actually, Olaf, we hadn't discussed that much yet, but I'm sure that –"

"Yes, Olaf. We are. Girlfriends, I mean. Anna and I like each other very much, so I think that it's high time that we be in a relationship," Elsa said. Anna looked over at her, jaw slack and eyes wide. Elsa smiled uncertainly at the younger girl, looking for confirmation in her gaze. Anna nodded quickly, the slack in her jaw quickly transforming into a smile, one that could have lit up the entire world had she tried hard enough.

"Yeah, Olaf. We are girlfriends." Anna moved closer to her and wrapped her arm around the blonde's waist, leaning in to kiss her cheek.

She noted to herself how nice it felt to finally be able to call Elsa hers and call herself Elsa's. Anna and Elsa, Elsa and Anna. Neither of them would have it any other way.

"I wish I had a girlfriend," said Olaf, but not sadly; he saw how happy his creator and her significant other were with each other, and wanted to be happy like that. Anna looked at him kindly.

"Don't worry, Olaf. As soon as I figure out how to, I'll make Ingrid come to life and you two will be boyfriend and girlfriend. No doubt about it," Anna said, smiling. Elsa admired how happy Anna seemed to perpetually be, and realized that it was now a possibility for herself as well now that she was with Anna. Olaf ran up and hugged both Anna and Elsa around the legs, snapping the blonde out of her thoughts. She reached down and patted his head.

"Look at us; you guys are like the moms I never had! We're like a great big family, huh?" Little did the snowman now that both of the women before him had tears well behind their eyes, the mention of having their own, small family causing the pair of them to choke up; the prospect of having something they never truly had made them emotional.

"Indeed we are, buddy," croaked out Anna, pulling both Elsa and Olaf closer to her.

"Indeed we are."

* * *

The twelfth strike hit, the chime reverberating throughout the hall and the land close to the Temple. The normally sunny island had a grey sky overcast, the rain threatening to pour down at any given moment. Servants lined the perimeter of the Atrium, the Magi seated at their respective thrones and the Heads of Houses sitting below them. In chains before them kneeled seven people, each of whom had various lacerations and bruises across their bodies. Warriors stood on either side of each of them, ready to take them down if need be.

By the door Oran stood, the body that was not his facing the scene before him and standing beside Jipalo, who currently had donned a forlorn expression on his face. It should not have come to possible death, he said, if only they had given the information over willingly, then their chances of survival would be much stronger.

Gita Ratulemen stood, as did everyone in the room. She looked around, eyes scanning the room to see if there was anything odd afoot before starting. Her eyes found Noa, the cook that had faithfully served her for his entirety of nineteen years. He stared back, face grim at the scene before him, and rightly so. She carried on, doing a final check, before she gave the okay.

" _Nos incipere._ " Everyone proceeded to sit down at the same time as she did, the seats shuffling as the jury got comfortable.

"Today, we are gathered to decide the fate of these seven people before us, who go by the names of Ota, Inys, Cein, Ungus, Pearce, Lun, and Corisa. We have found out recently from them, that they are of the X-Rebels, the group that frequently attacks the Elementals, and that they have a different name: the King's Ranks. Unfortunately, we were not able gain any other sensitive information. We were, in addition, able to find out small personal details, such as what Element each person possesses. Ota, Water; Inys, Water; Cein, Earth; Ungus, Fire; Pearce, Lun, and Corisa, Air.

It is my hope that we judge fairly today. I am sure no one here wants to see a person die today, let alone seven. Today, we shall start with Cein.

You are here today under the accusation that you have attempted an attack on Lord Michael Luch as of five days ago. The evidence found outside of Lord Luch's house – for example: traps, snares, nooses, triggered knives – and the location of which each of you were found points to the belief that you and your crew had planned to attack Lord Luch. That said, on the charge of attempted murder of a Magi, do you plead guilty or not guilty?" Gita said. Cein bowed his head.

"Guilty," the light haired man said, "and I speak for all of us when I say that, Lady Ratulemen." Each of the seven people nodded in agreement. The Lady Ultimum Maleficus looked around at her fellow Magi, then nodded.

"My fellow Lords and Ladies, before you are three tokens; one is a rectangle, one is a circle, and one is a triangle. Should you choose the rectangle, you vote for death for each of the prisoners. Should you choose the circle, you choose for them to have their Magic to be taken away and for their lives to be dedicated to the service of the Temple. Should you choose the triangle, you vote for them to be locked away in the dungeons for the remainder of their existence. Do remember that they plead guilty as you vote for their fates," she said.

One by one, the Magi had walked up and placed their tokens on the selected pike. Oran watched with disinterest, lingering instead on something that the bitch leader had said:

 _Should you choose the circle, you choose for them to have their Magic taken away_.

While Oran knew that it was possible to suppress one's Magic, as shown with the cuffs that drained the Energy from those who bore it, but he didn't know _this_ was possible. To have someone's Magic away? It just didn't seem to make sense.

"Jipalo," he whispered sideways. The portly man turned his head toward him slightly, not taking his eyes off of the scene.

"Yes?"

"How do they take away their Magic? That seems near impossible." Jipalo spared him a sideways glance before his eyes returned to the sight before him.

"I'm… not exactly sure, as it happens so seldom, but I'm fairly certain that they remove the Energy from the base of the Element." He grimaced. "I'd rather die than not have Earth within me." Oran nodded, feigning agreement.

When all the tokens were counted up, there was a lead in the circles. Oran watched with curiosity as the verdict was announced.

"So it is decided. Ota, Inys, Cein, Ungus, Pearce, Lun, and Corisa; you have committed crimes against the Order of the Elementals, as an attempt on any one of the Magi is a direct attack against our entire organization. You have been condemned to the removal of all Magicks from your body, and to live your lives as servants here," Gita said. She turned to one of the guards.

"Release them, Mando. I will take it from here." The said man released their chains, Gita coming up and forcing the seven of them into an uncomfortable position, their heads pointing skyward and their chest much the same. Starting with Cein, she pressed a thumb to the area between his eyes and over his heart, before her eyes began to glow yellow. Cein's face grew fearful, before a light exploded from his mouth and eyes. It shot skyward, and lasted for about thirty seconds. When the light diminished, he went limp, legs and arms falling hard to the floor.

Gita repeated this same process with the other prisoners, each of them slumped to the floor afterwards. Oran was amazed; if he had understood correctly, Gita had literally _forced_ the Magic out of their bodies. This was something that he had never seen before.

He smiled internally, a deep pride filling his senses.

 _Something that we can use against them._

* * *

 **A/N:** _So, yeah. That happened. I took inspiration from the Lion Turtle scene in_ Avatar: The Last Airbender _with the whole 'taking away the Magic' thing. I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter!_

 **And now, for the reviews! (Thanks to everyone that favorited, reviewed, followed and PM'd this week. Y'all kick ass!)**

 **Strasza:** Ok, so right off the bat, I have three things to say. 1) this was an emotional rollercoaster, but I loved it. 2) this story has always been awesome, at least in my opinion. 3) its about time Elsa learns to trust someone else with her insecurities instead of bottling it up inside, having it become toxic. Until next, same bat time, same bat place. (Is that enough references to these reviews?)

 **Burns:** _1\. Thanks! It was for me writing it too. 2. Even so, I feel as if the first two chapters are_ nothing _in comparison to what I'm capable of now. 3. I KNOW._ _I had been deliberating for a while how to finally get her to open up to Anna, and I felt like the diagnosis of her father would be enough to trigger her to do so. (Yes, that is enough indeed! Thanks for taking the time to read them (: )_

 **PenguinVuelve:** OOOH THE KISSSSS! :DDDD. I wonder what reaction Anna had when Elsa kissed her. Also it would be cute to see Elsa flustered with Anna and her Anna-ness :p. Soon

 **Burns:** _I hope I have done you justice, Penguin :)_

 **MidnightNightm3r3:** This was my favourite chapter to read... and aaaargggg you stopped at the best part! Hope the chapter continues directly from the kiss. | P.S. I think our awesome reviews deserve a double update ;P | P.P.S I can't wait for the next chapter!

 **Burns:** _Ayyye! I hope you enjoyed where I picked up from ;) | heh... :/ | I'm sorry I made you wait so long! T_T_

* * *

 _Alright guys, that's all for this week. See you all next time!_ **~ Burns**


	20. Runners

**Usual disclaimer.** _I pushed this one out late, but it's on time this time! Yay!_

 _I also want to point something out._

 _As much as I love Avatar: The Last Airbender, almost nothing in my story is taken from it. The only reason I included the reference to the Lion Turtle scene is because I needed a way to take away Magic from people, and that was a great way that I saw. I'm not mad or anything, but I worked and still work really hard to create this world for all of you to read. This story is something I created from my own imagination. I have my fair share of hat tips in here, such as Bragsdar (essence of Nightshade in Game of Thrones), the Lion Turtle scene from A:TLA, and references to Disney characters in here for all the things that have pushed me to be a better writer today. If this would have been based off of A:TLA, it would have been in a crossover. Just because I have people using Magic with Elements does not mean that it's from A:TLA. It's different if it reminds some of you of Avatar; of which, I take a compliment to. However, I haven't even watched Avatar since I was around nine. I give credit where it's due, as you guys should as well._

 _Sorry for the speech, but I needed to get that off my chest. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

It really was easy, you know; the access to the kitchen was readily open for the evening meal, the prisoners still needing to eat. The Magi decided to wait a week for the prisoners to actually be able to start serving, making the claim that they needed time to become mentally right again. The night post-verdict was a wet one; the clouds that were overcast during the day had opened up, the rain coming down like Vita was crying for the prisoners.

Oran pulled out the bottle of Bragsdar and swirled it around a few times, the mystic shift from clear to a dim lavender never ceasing to fascinate him. He fixed the seven prisoners some soup and pulled the bread out of the oven, the smell making his stomach rumble.

 _Focus. You must; the mission calls for it._

The thought of finishing the mission and returning to his King to tell him of the new process of Magic removal excited him greatly. It was a boon they could use when they decided to execute Plan Z. They weren't ready though, not yet. The time wasn't right, His Majesty said. His King knew what to do and when to do it, so he would respect that decision.

He cut the bread up into seven slices and laid them on a separate trays, along with the bowls of soup. After making sure that no one was in the hallway or near the kitchens, he removed the rectangular bottle of Bragsdar from around his thigh. As he unscrewed the cap, a little pop resounded in the air, the quiet noise breaking the drone of silence that shrouded the kitchen. The orifice reducer released one drop into each bowl, the tasteless poison diluting into the broth. He lifted up his sulu and resecured the Bragsdar against his thigh.

He pushed the cart out the doorway, the wheels slightly rattling as he made his way down the corridor. Oran would have rather just snapped their necks from the shadows, but once again, discreteness was called for on this mission. He walked into the prison chambers, sliding each tray to the prisoners. As Noa normally would have done, Oran waited for each of them to be done their meals.

"Noa," Ota said quietly. Oran looked over at her, the brown eyes that did not belong to him connected with her own. He quirked his brow at her, awaiting what she was going to say. When she gave no reply, he walked over to her with feigned concern and squatted in front of her.

"What is it, Ota?" he asked. She finished up her soup before pushing the tray underneath the food slot.

"Isn't it funny?" she began. She realized that she had not made sense, and continued with further elaboration.

"What I mean is, how you never really notice something is there until it's completely torn from you. I never fully realized how much Energy I had within me – I feel like a mere husk now, a body with no inhabitant truly inside it. I think my soul may have left with my Magic, Noa," she said. He wanted to smile and laugh at her, to tell her that her soliloquy would be for naught, that she would die in a matter of mere hours or maybe even minutes, depending on the effect that Bragsdar had on her. But he couldn't; the mission called for tactfulness, and right now it was needed more than ever.

Oran's fingers wrapped around the bar that was closest to her face, the cool metal chilling his hand to a small degree.

"Hopefully, that's not true. I know near nothing on the act of Magic removal, so I really can't tell you if what you fear is valid or not. But if you feel without purpose, fear not; you have a new start, a new life, here at the Temple," he said. In his head, he said it to her mockingly, but verbally he had to say it with a kind inflection in his tone.

Without saying another word, Ota stood with a yawn and shuffled over to her bed, wanting sleep and peace of mind more than anything in the world right now. Oran collected her tray and placed it onto the cart. Soon, there were seven of them stacked neatly on it. As he wheeled out the cart, the last of the seven laid down in their bed and went to sleep. He smiled to himself as he reentered the kitchen, sneaking out from the entrance on the side into the forest.

He went back to the shack that he was keeping the boy Noa in and transformed back into his old self. He took a deep breath, happy to be back inside his own skin. Noa was sleeping quietly in the chair, bruises wracking his body left and right. Oran slipped the boy's clothing off of himself and folded it neatly on the table, pulling out his own black shirt and khaki pants from the top of a shelf. After he was finished buttoning up his trousers and shirt, he took a piece of wood that he had found on his way back and burned an inscription into it, putting it by the Noa's sulu, knowing the boy would find it when he woke up.

He left Noa a pack of saltine crackers and and a cup of water before going over to him and silently cutting his bonds on both his arms and legs. The boy slumped over fully in his chair and fell onto the floor, still sleeping. Oran looked at him pitifully.

 _Shame, really, that someone like him is bound to the Order. His Majesty would have liked him._

He silently walked over to the door and paused for a brief moment.

"Boy, I'm saying this as a word of caution: I'm a man of my word. If I find out that you have mentioned me to _anyone_ , I will make sure that everything that you love is taken away from you, and I will make you watch as I kill them slowly. Do not test me, Noa Maharaj," he said.

He left without another word.

* * *

" _Anna," said Esmeralda from across the room. They were in that same damned room as before, the one with the red curtains and charcoal colored bed sheets on a cream bed. Anna's heart began pounding as she gulped._

" _Yes, Es?" she replied. The raven-haired woman looked at her sadly, tears clearly evident behind her eyes as she wiped them away. Her jaw clenched slightly before her lip quivered, turning to look at Anna in the eyes._

" _You already know what I'm going to say, don't you?" she asked. Anna bit her lip and turned to look into the mirror, the pictures of her and Esmeralda and Phoebus and Quasimodo lining up and down the sides._

" _We can kill him, Esmeralda. We can! We'll kill him and get back Phoebus and –"_

" _You already know that's not an option, Anna. We can't start a war because of this. I must, and I will. I love Phoebus with all of my heart, and Quasimodo too. I can't let Q risk his life for me, or you. You three are the family I've always wanted, don't you know that?" she said. Anna had tears glistening from the corners of her eyes, threatening to fall at any second._

" _If any of you die because of this, I will not be able to live with myself. I'm going to Frollo, regardless of what you say. It will all be taken care of after this is done." She walked over and wiped the tears from the redhead's eyes, never wanting to see the young girl's face look like that because of her. Anna embraced the Romani tightly, clutching her and crying into her shoulder._

 _Soon, though, the scene changed. Anna was standing on the edge of a cliff now, Looking down at a pit of fire. The face of Esmeralda pushed through, smiling up at her. Above her, in the clouds, she heard three words:_

 _She will_ _ **burn!**_

* * *

Anna awoke with a start, heart beating mercilessly against her ribcage. She clutched her chest tightly, panting with a rigor that would've otherwise suggested she ran a race. Her hands were shaking from adrenaline, and her cheeks were wet. She ran a hand through her bangs, a habit she always did when she was nervous.

 _I haven't dreamt about Es in such a long time… Where did that come from?_

A light breathing from behind broke her out of her reverie. She looked down at the arm wrapped around her waist– the arm of her new girlfriend. The winter blonde was sound asleep, her breath tickling Anna's ear. Anna and Elsa decided that they would sleep in Elsa's room for the night, the emotional toll of the day prior making neither of them want to be alone for the night.

She had [luckily] not awoken from Anna flinching into consciousness, but had shifted to pull the redhead closer. Anna closed her eyes and sighed against the embrace, allowing herself to feel safe within Elsa's grasp. Judging by the small amount of light, it was about six in the morning. She knew that after that bout of nightmares, there was no way she was going back to sleep.

She gently lifted up Elsa's arm and replaced her own body with her pillow. The redhead stretched, her back cracking with her shoulders.

 _I need to run._

She threw on a pair of leggings and her running shoes, along with a sweatshirt she had picked up from Paris a while back. Grabbing a piece of paper from Elsa's nightstand, she wrote out a little note for her girlfriend.

 **Hey, I had a pretty bad nightmare. Spooked me a little bit, going for a run. I'll see you when you wake up Frosty :)**

 **Anna**

Satisfied with the note, Anna grabbed her earbuds, phone and a couple of Krones and headed out the door. Janders stirred slightly at her footsteps, eyes lazily blinking at her. She smiled at the adorable ministration, leaning down to pet his big head. She opened the front door quietly and walked down the porch, rubber soles treading across the soft wood. Since the redhead had been training here now for some time, she decided to take the path from the end of the gravel driveway all the way up to the small restaurant that laid about three miles down the road, knowing that she would want something to eat by the end of the first part of the trek.

She went into her Apple Music and put her workout playlist on shuffle. As she started out with a light jog, Run by AWOLNATION came on. She smiled, the corners of her mouth tilting upward.

 _Perfect._

* * *

Elsa awoke with the sun hitting her face and an absence of warmth to her front. Her eyes whipped open immediately, sitting bolt upright at the fact that her girlfriend was not in her arms. She looked around frantically, looking for any sign of the redhead.

 _Oh._

She noticed a piece of paper on her nightstand, put on her glasses, and read the note that Anna had left her, releasing a breath of relief at the fact that her girlfriend was okay. She got up and did her morning stretches, ending with a straddle split that could put a gymnast to shame. Feeling loose enough, she popped up, went into the bathroom and turned on classic rock radio, a genre she had learned to love from her father. Elsa took her showers in the morning, so that she might feel rejuvenated for the rest of the day to come. She stripped out of her clothes and turned the handle to hot.

Though Elsa might have been of Ice, she loved hot showers. They released all the tension that she had built up in her body from the day previous. She brushed her teeth, the mint refreshing her mouth, and slipped into the shower. The blonde hummed in appreciation for the steaming liquid, the water rolling down her back and soaking her locks. She heard the front door open and close as she began to wash her hair. Her father had not been cleared for discharge yet, so she knew it was Anna.

She wanted to smile at the thought of her father, but she couldn't. She and Anna were going to visit him today, and as much as she didn't want to, the anxiety that she had been feeling at the mention of him had crept back up into her throat. She hated that, but she couldn't help it; her father was dying, and there was nothing she could do about it.

As she squeezed the shampoo from her hair and picked up the conditioner, she thought deeper about the subject. Was she more anxious about seeing her father in his state, or that dreadful fact that she couldn't do anything about it? Even people of the Healing Sector couldn't stop a sickness from within someone. She thought back to when she and Tonna were talking after a training session one day, when she had come close to accidentally slicing off one of her fellow pupils arms.

" _You see, Elsa, you're lucky you didn't end up whacking off his arm!" Tonna yelled at the sixteen year old winter blonde. Elsa's eyes were downcast, shame lingering above her like a snow cloud._

" _He kept calling me names, Tonna," she said. The elder lady rolled her eyes._

" _People are gonna call you names your entire life,_ snowflake. _Grow a thick skin and get used to it, otherwise people can use that against you in battle. If you let mere words get to you, you'll be done for before the steel of a sword or bullet can even hit your skin," she said. Tonna was always one in favor of calling things as they were, especially when she was angry._

" _And, in addition, you were going to take off Christian's arm? What the hell is wrong with you? You're lucky that he got away with a cut and that we have people from the Healing Sector here as well!" She fumed, shaking her head with vigor._

" _At least I didn't Ice him from the inside out," Elsa murmured. Tonna's head whipped over to her and she stopped her pacing._

" _Excuse me?" she asked, jaw slightly slacked. Elsa tilted her chin up and looked at Tonna in the eyes._

" _I said, at least I didn't ice him from the inside out," she repeated. She soon regretted the action as Tonna walked over to her sitting form and loomed over her. Though Elsa was significantly taller than Tonna now, the woman had a way of making her feel small when she wanted to._

" _Don't you_ ever _say that again. The one thing that even the Healing Sector can't fix is internal ailments. Do you understand?" she asked, voice low and angered. Elsa nodded, both from fear and understanding._

" _Good. Now get out of my face; I'm already mad enough at you as is," she commanded. Elsa did as she was told, scurrying out of the room as fast as she could._

While it was not Elsa's most fond memory of Tonna, it had taught her that valuable lesson of healing. She finished washing herself off and turned off the shower, stepping out and drying her body before wrapping both her torso and hair in a towel. When she walked out of the bathroom, Janders was gone from his normal spot as was his leash. She took the time that both Anna and Janders were gone to walk into her room, brush her hair and get dressed. As she slipped on her grey shorts and forest green t-shirt, she heard the door open, along with the jingle of Janders's leash. She plopped her contacts in and walked downstairs, where Anna was waiting for her with a cup of tea and a plate of chocolate pancakes.

"Hey, Frosty," she said, giving her a half smile. Elsa's eyes lit up at the sight of chocolate _and_ pancakes, and she zoomed over to where both laid. The pancakes were still steaming, and there was even a little container of syrup off to the side. She dug in hungrily, body accustomed to eating much earlier.

"Morning, Anna," she said, once she had gotten through at least one pancake. "Did you make these?" She asked. The redhead shook her head.

"Nah. I just picked them up when I got breakfast earlier, then ran back with them," she said. Elsa smiled widely.

"Aw. Thank you for thinking of me, Fire Face. They're damn delicious, I'll tell you that," the blonde said after she had swallowed her bite. Anna chuckled at her eagerness, before her eyes zeroed in on a little bit of chocolate that Elsa had managed to get on the corner of her mouth. The blonde looked at her quizzically, a dark brow raised in curiosity.

"Uh, Anna?" she said, before the redhead swooped in and kissed her. Elsa's eyes widened, then fluttered shut, her fork clattering against her plate. Her heart picked up speed as Anna let her tongue roam over the edge of her lips. The redhead paused on one particular area, and then pulled back.

"Sorry, Els. You had a bit of chocolate on your mouth, didn't want it to stay there," Anna said with a wink. Elsa's face flushed, her cheeks blazing crimson. Anna's face turned a bit more serious at that point, taking Elsa's hand in her own.

"Are you ready for today, Elsa?" she asked, ducking her head to meet Elsa's eyes. The blonde gulped, knowing that she was going to get asked this sooner or later. She shook her head and decided to give her the honest answer.

"Not at all, to be true. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it—about my dad—, and I'm nervous as all hell to go see him," she said. Anna squeezed her hand.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Anna asked. Elsa shook her head.

"Not now," she replied. Anna nodded, understanding where she was coming from.

"Alright. Listen, I'm gonna hop in the shower, and then we'll go, okay? Finish up eating and meet me out front," she said. Elsa nodded silently as Anna walked toward the downstairs bathroom. She felt warmth bloom in her chest as she thought about all that the redhead had done for her so far, even down to the most minute thing of buying her pancakes.

 _You're too good for me, Anna._

 _You really are._

* * *

Noa stirred, realizing that he was unbound. He got up off the ground when a memory hit him suddenly.

" _Boy, I'm saying this as a word of caution: I'm a man of my word. If I find out that you have mentioned me to anyone, I will make sure that everything that you love is taken away from you, and I will make you watch as I kill them slowly. Do not test me, Noa Maharaj._ " The man with the green eyes knew who he was. He knew who he loved and cared about.

This man was dangerous. He walked over to where his sulu was and dressed himself. On the table laid a single plank of wood, saying only a few words.

 _Run, boy. Run, and never return._

* * *

 **A/N:** _Ah, I love Scar. He's such a fun persona to play around with. A quick update: I have Marching Band competitions on Saturdays from hereon out, so expect late updates until about mid-November (Saturdays are usually my writing days, hence). I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter! (P.S. I'm doing a Q &A next week in honor of 20 chapters so drop those questions in the reviews and PMs my dudes!)_

 **And now, for the reviews! (Thanks to everyone who PM'd, favorited, followed, and reviewed this week. Y'all kick ass!)**

 **Strasza:** I fucking love this chapter, especially at the end with the Avatar the Last Airbender reference. I am now convinced this is actually an Avatar fanfic with Frozen characters in the modern world, with Anna being Aang, Olaf as Sokka, and Elsa as Katara. But if that's the case, would Scar be Zuko, and would Riuk be Ozai? I think I just went too deep, well shit.

 **Burns:** _Thanks for the compliment! And you ~might~ have gone just a weee bit too into it XD_

 **PenguinVuelve:** Congratulations for your cousin. One day late? No problem, you were able to update and that's whats counts. I can imagine Elsa's face when Olaf mentioned them being girlfriends (JAJSJAJSJAJSJASJA :v). See you soon.

 **Burns:** _Thank you! It was a beautiful reception :) Olaf had a gigantic smile on his face! He loves both Elsa and Anna, and seeing them finally get together makes him really happy. See you next week!_

 **MidnightNightm3r3:** I KNEW THERE WAS SOME AVATAR INSPIRATION IN THIS STORY! Big brain so happy!

 **Burns:** _Not necessarily inspiration, but a definite hat tip._

 **The Myth Rider:** Hehehehe, remember back when I said his story of yours reminded me of a couple of things? Even then, Avatar had been one of them, so I couldn't help but chuckle to myself at that last scene, hehehe. Very nicely done, and I must confess I greatly enjoyed the first portion. To break my usual decorum for a moment, IT WAS TOTALLY AWESOME! On an unrelated note, someone decided it was a good idea to review the newest chapter of Birger's fic by asking me if I would update my Elsanna fic. *sighs* I've finally gotten back into the groove for that fic, and I really want to continue it more so...but Elsa and Anna haven't met yet in the EA one, so I kinda owe them at least that, hehehe. Anyways, good luck on your next chapter, looking forward to it!

 **Burns:** _Thank you! I love the way that A:TLA is written, so that's a huge compliment :) Thanks! I worked really hard on the first half of the chapter, and to see that a fellow writer whose work I greatly enjoy likes it too makes me feel really good about myself :D Also, don't let those kinds of reviews bother you. Don't feel like you owe anybody anything, either. Write for yourself, and you'll keep your writing uniquely you and be happier doing so. I wish you luck with your next chapter as well, since I really enjoyed the last one!_

* * *

 _Alright guys, I'll see you all next time!_ **~ Burns**


	21. Fog Surrounding

**Usual disclaimer.**

 _Alright guys, listen. I know I was really, really, REALLY late on updating this. There's really no one to blame but me. Over the past four months, a whole lot has happened: I applied and got accepted to my dream college, I finished two marking periods of school, I got a girlfriend (who is the most supportive and loving girlfriend in the whole world, and supports my writing and is ok with the fact I ship Elsanna), and just a whole shenanigan more._

 _But something has been really eating away at me._

 _I've gotten almost 10,000 views on this story. And while that does elate me, it also raises a question as to why I only have 57 reviews. I am an author that likes to see that people enjoy my work, and to have such a low review to view ratio makes me a bit sad. I actually went into a bit of a writer's block because I thought nobody liked my story enough to comment it. **To those who have reviewed, you mean so much to me. Thank you for doing what you did- I couldn't have mustered up the will to write this chapter without you guys.**_ _To the rest of you, please, please, please start commenting your thoughts on my story a bit more often. It helps me scrounge up the will to write a new chapter._

 _Now that I've spoken my peace, please enjoy this chapter!_

 **Warning: NSFW content in this chapter.**

* * *

Gita had a great many things to worry about in her life—praying, training, keeping the Order safe—but one thing she never fully was able to manage was evil. As the leader of an organization that was propelled by good, she frequently was opposed with bad people.

But to be evil? That was an entirely different concept.

She found it difficult to understand something she was not and had never been. So when Noa had come to her, with an unsettling amount of bruises and lacerations marring the smooth surface of his skin, she was disturbed. He was Vishal's cousin, a cook, and a young man with a good moral compass.

When he had stumbled up the steps of the Temple, she had been walking by, and thankfully was able to catch him. She descended down the steps with a sense of urgency, sensing his physical state was not peak. When he collapsed against her, he had nearly fainted then and there. She lowered them both slowly and carefully to the ground, counting the various bruises that decorated his body.

"Noa? What has happened to you?" she asked. His breathing was slowing, the rise and fall of his chest settling down as he began to lose consciousness. Seeing that Latin was not working, she decided to speak to him in his native tongue, hoping to garner some form of response out of him.

"Noa. Na cava sa yaco oti vei iko?" she asked again in Fijian. His eyes fluttered opened, the warm brown now dulled from exhaustion. He looked briefly in her black eyes, trying to say something without verbalising it. When her brows furrowed together, he managed to rasp out four words.

"Ca, Gita. Tamata ca." His eyelids slid closed, finally slipping into unconscious. Gita disregarded the dropped formality for the time being and scoured her mind for the translation of what he had told her, setting to work on healing some of the minor injuries. She summoned some water out of the air and wrapped her hand within it, the water glowing a faint green as she applied it to his skin. The superficial lacerations began to heal slowly, closing and causing minute scars upon his skin.

 _Evil, Gita. Evil Man._

The translation came upon her suddenly and powerfully, the wave of shock that hit her causing her to stop her movements.

"Milady!" the voice of a Temple servant came from behind her, knocking her out of her trance. She whipped her head to him as he came running down the stairs to her position. His eyes widened at the sight of Vishal's cousin in such disarray.

"Menal, nevermind Noa. What is it that has gotten you in such a state of emergency?" she asked. His eyes refocused on her and his lips pointed downward. His hands started to shake slightly as he gulped.

"The prisoners… They are all dead!" Gita's jaw nearly scraped the floor.

"Suicides?" She asked. Menal shook his head.

"Unlikely, milady. They have no access to anything of danger to them, and their Magic was taken away."

"Has there been any autopsies?"

"I'm afraid not, milady. Dr. Faucheux should be getting the news within the minute; Adonis was sent to fetch him."

"Thank you, Menal. I shall be there soon. First, I must get—"

" _Noa!_ " Both Menal and Gita whipped their heads over to where the voice had erupted from. Jipalo Meran, Noa's best friend, came bounding over, his stomach jiggling and sweat breaking out on his forehead.

"Milady, pray tell what has happened to him?!" Jipalo asked frantically.

"Later, Jipalo; for now, take Noa to the medical ward, and quickly; I have managed to close some of his superficial wounds, but they will be able to do much more than I can, given my current position," she commanded. He obeyed immediately, scooping his best friend into his arms. He stomped his foot on the ground and was catapulted through the air, heading east.

 _Evil Man…_

Evil. This was going to be a problem, a thorn in Gita's side until she could finally find out what exactly had happened to the poor cook. Evil had many definitions, but until she knew Noa's, there would be no leads to whom this man was.

 _Vita, what could you possibly be doing up there…?_

* * *

Elsa's foot bounced up and down as she waited for the nurse to call her in. The hand which she was holding Anna's with, she at least tried to keep a temperature above freezing. Her other hand, however… That hand was well into the sub zero ranges. Though she was contemplating up and leaving, she knew this was something she needed to do.

Her father deserved to come home. Even though it would kill her to see him in such a state of poor health, she knew that it was time. If only she could bide her time just a little bit longer, think of other ways to possibly fix him, to heal him—

"Elsa Isånd?" the nurse called, snapping the blonde out of her reverie. Her grip on Anna's hand grew ever tighter, the cold contrasting harshly with the warmth of her girlfriend's hand.

"It's okay, Elsa. I'm here with you," Anna said, gently squeezing Elsa's hand. The blonde took a breath, nodded, and stood up. Her feet grew heavier and heavier with each passing step, slabs of concrete pinned to the bottoms of her legs. When she met the door, she glared a hole in it as if it had threatened her family. Which, in a way, it did.

"Ready?" Elsa gulped, and opened the door.

Her father looked worse than last time. He was a shade paler, and his cheeks were just the smallest fraction more gaunt. He was dying right in front of her eyes, and she could do nothing to help the ailing man. She gritted her teeth and blinked a few tears out of her eyes before moving to sit beside her father.

"Hello, Papa."

* * *

When Agðar saw his daughter and Anna holding hands, he couldn't say that he was surprised. He moreso felt a great happiness bloom within his chest. Beyond him, his daughter would have someone to lean on. And in his ailing, dying days, this brought him a great comfort.

"Hello, my snowflake," he said, "How are you?" Elsa blinked back tears, and Agðar's heart wept for his pained daughter. Words could not explain the way that the helplessness of the situation affected him, but he could give his daughter some words to help her feel better.

"I should be asking you that question, Papa," she replied, voice catching in her throat.

"No worse for wear, as you can see," he joked, earning the smallest of smiles from Elsa. It was still something, and he considered it an accomplishment that she was even able to show a hint of happiness in the predicament they were in.

"I've not the slightest idea how you could possibly jest in a situation like this, but it's appreciated, Papa," she said, "it's good to see that you are still yourself."

"Fret not, my dear. I am still myself in mind, though perhaps not body," he responded.

"When did the two of you get together?" he asked. Anna smiled, this time speaking in place of Elsa.

"Two days ago," she replied. A smile broke out on his face, the first one he had cracked in a week. This was good. More than good—this was more than he could have hoped for. Elsa smiled herself. She looked to him, and the question on her face was plain.

He let out a great sigh, the air in his body leaving with haste.

"I'm ready to go home, Elsa." She looked surprised, but not entirely taken off guard. He was going to spend his last months with his daughter; his life being prolonged in the hospital or not. It was time.

"I'll go get the car ready. Anna, if you would, stay here till I return?" the redhead nodded.

"Of course," she replied. Elsa left the room, the door shutting softly behind her.

* * *

Agðar regarded Anna curiously. She had managed to get closer to her daughter than anyone had been able to in years. And yet, she still regarded Elsa with an air of fragility, one that neither of them may have noticed but he certainly did.

"Anna." She looked up to him, her teal eyes meeting his grey ones.

"Elsa may seem as though she is easy to shatter, but I promise you this: she is a much stronger woman than she seems. She has made it through trials and tribulations that many would not wish to see, including homelessness at a very young age. Give her more credit than you currently are," he said. Her were downcast, and he mentally facepalmed.

"What I mean is, be good to her, Anna. I may not have many more months, or even weeks left on this earth. But once I cross the Horizon with Horatius, you may be all she has left. Don't be mistaken, Anna—as her father, I'm always going to be the slightest bit protective of her. But I'm no longer concerned for her after my passing, and I have you to thank for that." Anna smiled, the apples of her cheeks rising at his words.

"I will take care of her, Mr. Isånd. You have nothing to fear," she said.

He smiled right back at her.

* * *

Anna had been about to say something back to him, but a sudden vision overpowered her senses. The world around her changed rapidly, and she was in the fog again, like she had been all those weeks ago. She saw the light, as she did before, and walked toward it.

"Vita?" she called out, "is that you again?" She stopped suddenly, the light dimming and then racing toward her. She almost stumbled back in surprise by the speed and the brightness the ball displayed.

"I am not Vita, little one," said the orb, "I am Chara, Goddess of Water. You are nearing the end of learning Ice; you must make strides in greater places, as must Elsa. And please, know this: eels live in Water. Be careful of those who seek to bite you."

"What do you mea—!"

Anna was catapulted back to the hospital room, with which she received an odd look from Agðar.

"I… I apologize, Agðar. I don't know what just happened."

"That's quite alright, Anna. If you wouldn't mind—" he was cut off abruptly by Elsa opening the door and suddenly pulling Anna out into the hallway.

"Anna," she said, her skin paler than its natural shade, "Tonna just called. There's been a breakthrough in the investigation with the X-Rebels. But there's one problem—all of our sources have been killed under mysterious circumstances." Anna's head spun. The X-Rebels, the group that was the next rendition of the Usurpers… And all of the help they could possibly hope to get was now gone.

And she would find the bastards that killed them.

* * *

Rí rode Laoch with wild abandon, the sweat dripping down his back and his hair plastered to his forehead. His hands were spread on his brother's chest, his brother tied down beneath him. He leaned down and bit his neck, hard enough to leave a bruise. His commander moaned below him.

Laoch was getting close, and Rí knew it. He rode him harder and faster, and if he angled himself properly, he hit a spot deep inside him that only his brother could hit, and it made him shudder. Finally, he felt Laoch's cock swell as he released his cum deep within him. A low, ragged moan came from the bottom of his brother's throat as his tight stomach muscles constricted, the ropes of semen starting to leak out of Rí's bottom. He slid off Laoch, his entrance still sensitive. He untied all of the ropes chaining down his commander and collapsed beside him.

"Fantastic as always, my King," Laoch said, rubbing his raw wrists. Rí nodded, lightly trailing his nails up and down the impressive abdominal muscles his brother possessed. He slipped underneath the covers, inviting Laoch with him. The exhausted commander gladly accepted his proposal. As Rí sidled up to his side, a question from an earlier meeting within the Council needed to be answered.

"Laoch," he said, his voice soft but not betraying the topic to be discussed.

"Yes, Rí?"

"I believe I agree with the council, and I think that the Mist would agree with me: it's time to accept Agent C into our Ranks."

* * *

 **A/N:** _So... yeah._

 **And now, for the reviews! (thanks to everyone who favorited, reviewed, PM'd, and followed. Y'all kick ass!)**

 **Strasza:** Fucking great chapter. I am guessing Frollo is allies with the King's Army, and if so, that would be amazing! I can't wait for next week, keep up the great work.

 **Burns:** _Thank you! I apologize for the hiatus, but I hope that this chapter fulfills what you wanted to see._

 _Danget the Critic:_ Please tell me Noa does the obvious thing and tells someone that there is a shapeshifter. I get that it will take time to figure out but as soon as no one asks where he has been for at least a day, it will probably warrant some investigations.

Also, people keep track of poisons, just because something leaves no trace doesn't mean people won't figure it out, especially when there are no marks on seven dead bodies.

Still a really good story. Very good pacing and no chapter has felt unneeded or like filler.

Burns: _Indeed it will. You will see what happens eventually, fear not. Thank you for the compliment! I try to make every chapter important to the plot._

 **Lance58:** -This is getting interesting! I can't wait to read more.. I'm sure there's some politics involve in this elemental world (ch.2)

-Wait so Anna can control all elements!? Omg that's so cool.. can Elsa also do that? (ch.6)

-Oh wow so Elsa can also control all of the elements?! That's amazing.. they're going to be the most powerful couple ever (ch.8)

-Despite the impending angst with her father having a cancer.. I'm so happy with this cute couple having their sweet moments (ch.11)

-Oh god! That's amazing! I hope Elsa learns the different elements as well (ch.14)

-Wait.. did they just practically got married?! Spiritually I mean.. but does that mean if the other one dies they die also? Hmmm.. anyway I'm guessing the one who gave the scar to Anna is the same person that gives out x scars (ch.18)

-Yesss! Finally! Woooh! Sad for the dad.. but happy for the elsanna moment! (ch.19)

-Ugh such a cute couple! If only they stay that way blissful but alas storm is brewing and they're going to get hit by it (ch.20)

 **Burns:** _-Thank you so much! It is wholeheartedly appreciated. As far as the politics go… Well, keep reading!_

 _-Yes! An astute observation from that early on, I must say._

 _-Mm, not quite… You'll see more later._

 _-Gotta have sugar to make the tea taste good, right?_

 _-Thank you! And to clarify, Elsa can_ only _control water._

 _-No. Heart Writing transcends any human idea of bonding. It literally binds your souls together as one. In the world of the Elementals, the soul and the heart work as one. To answer your question, no. If one dies, it does not necessarily mean that the other dies-immediately, at least. The soul will die, and the person's quality of life essentially becomes non-existent. The lack of happiness and of spirit eventually wears down the body, and the heart stops from (basically) heartbreak. And perhaps. There are many people that are in the position of Brander in the King's Ranks. It's not a special thing to be._

 _-Woo!_

 _-Thank you! But to what severity?_

* * *

 _Alright guys, that's all for this week. See you next time!_ **~ Burns**


	22. In the Absence of Clarity

**Usual disclaimer.** _I asked, you guys responded. Thank you so. much. to the people that reviewed this week. Seeing some new people commenting gave me the drive to write the next two chapters in this story. I also made it on a fic rec! Also, I feel like I should let you guys know this: my new Tumblr name is _**crossedjuxtapose** , _in case you wanted to follow it._

 _Also, surprise! Because you guys gave me a beautiful wave of responses, I decided to give you a treat. Happy early update!_

 _With that said, enjoy!_

* * *

"I must say, Oran. I am very impressed with the results of this mission. Not only were you able to kill the seven Mansings with ease, you were also able to find out _very_ valuable information," Doirin commended. Oran stood a little straighter, a light smile gracing his face as the Special Ops Commander praised him. She looked to Rí, as if silently asking him something.

"I think a promotion is in order, Oran," Rí said, much to the shapeshifter's surprise.

"Your Majesty, I was simply executing the mis—" he was cut off by a wave of his King's hand.

"I understand, but you also went above and beyond and gave us some of the most valuable information that our order has found _to date_ ," he said, "that, in and of itself, warrants a promotion." He rose from his throne, walking toward the tall man at the center of the circular table. Oran stood straighter still, the pride now fully evident in his eyes.

"It is my true happiness, Oran, to promote you to not a Ziq, as you might have thought, but to an officer. Welcome to the higher ranks, Second Lieutenant," Rí said with a smile. Oran's jaw dropped. While he was happy about a promotion, he was _not_ expecting to be named an officer. Immediately, he dropped down on his knee and put a fist over his heart.

"Thank you so much, Your Majesty! I never… I am truly grateful, my King," he said, for once at a loss for words.

"Do not thank me for what you have earned, Oran. Rise. I will have your new uniform delivered to your quarters… Which now will be in the South wing, along with the other officers. Thank you for your dutiful service, Oran. You are dismissed," Rí said. He shook the shapeshifter's hand before Oran left the Council's presence.

Once he was gone, Rí resumed his seat at the throne.

"There is an important matter to be discussed today, my kind advisors. A matter we have been debating about for a month or so now," he began. Every one of the Council members leaned forward in their seats.

"I believe it is time for us to invite Agent C into our ranks. After much speculation on this, I truly believe it is wise to accept such an influential figure among us, especially one that could influence entire countries. I've decided to write him today—it is my hope that he will respond positively, as the inquiries he has made have seemed to be in interest of helping our cause. Of course, you already know the rest of the details about his character, and with a few dents in his past notwithstanding, he could provide to be of great service to us," Rí said. The Council members nodded their heads in agreement.

"I agree fully, Your Majesty. I believe you are making a wise choice; to have a person of power among us is a smart choice indeed," Lili said. Wade and Blaine hummed their agreement.

"Any opportunity to extend my Spider Web is a welcome one," Blaine said.

"Speaking of which, Blaine. I need you to find the location of a woman for me and bring her to us. Lili, I might need you for this too. Do you have a man that can go by the cover of shadows?" Rí asked. She smiled fiendishly.

"Not a man, my King, but a woman," she replied. He raised his eyebrows.

"I was not aware that you could bend shadows." She shook her head.

"Not I, Your Majesty, but another. She goes by the name of Grimhilde, and if it is the cover of shadows you desire, then she is your best chance, my King," she said. He nodded thoughtfully.

"When the time comes, I will seek her service. As for now, Blaine, the woman I need you to find is shifty, but unmistakeable once you see her. I will provide a picture as soon as possible," Rí said. Blaine raised his eyebrow.

"Her name, Your Majesty?" Blaine asked.

"Esmeralda Gitan."

* * *

 **One month later**

 _Anna was standing on the cliff where it happened, where the world burned below her. This was were the first sign was displayed, where the first heartbeat would restart. She observed curiously as the sobbing man with golden hair cradled his wife within his arms, cursing the gods above at their disservice to him._

" _Damn you to Hell, Vita! I will find a way to bring her back," he screamed to the Heavens. The hellfire beyond the cliff roared, as if in protest to the man's statement. She tried to move toward him, but it was as if she could not move, stuck in place by invisible cement. The man created a long, thin blade of water in mid-air. The normal blue glow that would accompany a blue-eyed man was replaced by a darker image: his eyes began to glow a dangerous red._

" _I will find a way, you false Gods," he growled. He reared his arm back._

" _I will find a way." He plunged the blade into his wife's head._

* * *

Anna awoke with a start. While the remnants of the dream were quickly fading, one phrase still stuck in her head.

 _I will find a way._

"But find a way to do what?" she mused quietly out loud. She felt an arm around her waist tighten, pulling her back under the sheets, and happily obliged with a smile.

It had been a month since Agðar had returned home, and a month and two days since Elsa and Anna had officially become a couple. Their training had slowed somewhat because of the limited attention that Elsa was able to give Anna due to her father, but still progressed forward nonetheless. And their relationship?

"Good morning, my dear," Anna said, pecking her girlfriend on the lips. Elsa smiled in return.

Well, to say the least, it was going great. Though her father's health was declining rather quickly, Elsa was trying her hardest to stay happy, both for her own sanity and for her father's. She truly enjoyed every second that she spent with Anna; the fact that she was such a great listener helped Elsa deal with her father very much.

Anna looked at the beauty that Elsa beheld. The near-translucent freckles that dotted across her nose and cheeks made her dark eyebrows stand out against her porcelain skin, and her beautiful lips drew attention to her smile. But when Elsa opened her eyes, Anna could not help but become ensnared by the quiet intensity that laid beneath the surface.

She leaned in to Elsa, pressing her lips against her mentor's in a silent request. It started off slow, at first, with gentle pecks and light kisses. But like kindling to start a bonfire, things quickly began to heat up. Anna put her hand on the side of Elsa's neck, leaning in closer to her and pressing her lips against the blonde's more intensely, biting down gently on her lower lip. Elsa gasped quietly at the ministration, taken aback at Anna's boldness. She grabbed at the redhead's hips, wanting something more but not knowing exactly what the _something_ was.

Her pupil moved over her hips, effectively straddling Elsa. Their breaths mingled together, steam beginning to arise between them. Anna continued her conquest of Elsa's skin, breaking off from her lips and leaving feather kisses along her jawline and down her neck. The blonde's chest started to rise and fall quicker, her heartbeat accelerating with each light touch of Anna's lips.

Yes. Their relationship was going _very_ well.

Unlike Elsa, who was sheltered from any form of sexual education growing up, Anna knew the fundamentals of sex. She had more experience with males, sure; that did not mean she was completely oblivious to the needs of a woman. For Vita's sake, she _was_ a woman after all!

She lightly bit on the nape of Elsa's neck, and the reaction was instant. A sharp breath was released from Anna's mentor, and the hands on her hips clutched tightly, her nails digging ever so lightly into the skin there. Anna smirked against the blonde's neck, and lowered her hand to the hem of Elsa's shirt. As her fingertips started to glide up over her navel, she felt a firm yet gentle hand grasp her wrist.

Anna pulled back and looked at Elsa. The blonde looked apologetic as she shook her head, but Anna simply smiled.

"It's okay, Elsa. No worries," she said as she retracted her hand. She leaned down and gave a light peck on Elsa's lips before rolling back over on her side. Elsa rested her forehead against her girlfriend's, her hand resting on the back of Anna's head.

"Thank you," she said softly. Anna pecked her again on the lips. There was a peaceful silence between the pair for a few moments, before Elsa reluctantly pulled away.

"I need to make sure my father takes his medicine. Would you care to pour me a bowl of cereal, please?" She asked. Anna nodded, standing up likewise and stretching, the vertebrae in her back popping. She threw on a sweatshirt over her black tank-top and walked out to the kitchen, pulling the chocolate Cheerios out for Elsa and the Cocoa Pebbles for herself.

Her mind wandered back to the dream that she had this morning. _What had it been about?_ Her mouth pressed into a thin line as she poured the milk into the bowls, wracking her brain to remember any kind of detail from the dream aside from that one repeated phrase. _Wait_.

The man in her dreams renounced the Gods. And since he said Vita, he was originally a worshiper of the Six.

 _I will find a way, you false Gods._

Typically nobody called the Gods fake, not unless—

"Good morning, Anna," said Agðar, interrupting her thoughts. She looked over to him and smiled, noting that his skin was not as ashen as it normally was today. The observation made an even broader grin spread across her face.

"Morning, Agðar. Do you want some coffee?" She asked. He nodded, opening a can of dog food for Janders. There were few things that Agðar could still do; feeding his dog was one of them, and he refused to have anyone else touch another can of dog food while he was still breathing.

"Ladies," he said quietly. Both Anna and his daughter turned their heads to him.

"I think I'd like to go down to Arendelle today and see the ice sculptures. I'm feeling much better today, and I think I can finally leave the house," he told them. Elsa hesitated; with good reason, of course.

"Papa…," she began. "Is it really a good idea to leave? I understand you're feeling relatively well, but…"

"Listen, Elsa. I have limited time left, as we both know. I want to see the ice sculptures again, regardless of if it's a good idea. It's not much physical taxation on my body—after all, it's not like we're trekking down the mountain. I understand the pair of you have training today, and that's fine. Just, if you could. Today's one of my better days, and I want to take advantage of that fact."

Elsa sighed, reluctantly acquiescing to her father's wishes. Anna poured him a cup of coffee, soon sitting down and eating her bowl of Cocoa Pebbles. Agðar smiled quietly to himself, sipping his coffee and adding more sugar.

* * *

 _Your Almighty Greatness,_

 _Your time is coming. In three years time, I believe, it will be upon us. We are in the process of getting the resources we need, but soon, Your Greatness, you will return. We will find a way, we always do._

 _Signed,_

 _Your obedient servant._

* * *

 **A/N:** _I had so much fun writing this chapter my dudes. I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I did writing it! Also, I'm gonna start doing the thing the JYN044 did in The Queen's Mercy: just put my responses to the people reviewing as opposed to their review and my response._

 **And now, for the reviews! (thanks to everyone who followed, reviewed, PM'd, and favorited this week. Y'all kick ass!)**

 **Strasza:** Hm, an interesting theory. Is there a greater evil? You make speculations that I greatly enjoy reading, Strasza. As always, your reviews are greatly appreciated; this one was highly enjoyable for me to read. Thank you for being understanding—it truly means a lot.

 **Guest:** Thank you so much! I worked really hard to get in. My girlfriend… I love her beyond words. She is absolutely wonderful. Thank you—but also know that your thoughts are really all I need to hear. If you think that the X-Rebels sound like X-Men, don't be afraid to say it like you did! I likewise agree that they sound like X-Men, actually, now that you say it.

 **Haley Universe:** No need to apologize, my friend. All I ask is for is your thoughts. I greatly appreciate the fact that you took the time to review this week—it means more than I can say. The next chapter is already written, my friend!

 **Lance58:** Indeed. I like to create a fully immersive world, not just one that focuses solely on Elsa and Anna. It bores me as a writer that way. As a person who has personally had cancer, it is a strange thing. For some, it goes fast. Others, slow. Agðar's cancer is currently unpredictable. I always answer my reviews, man! No matter how many from one person. I already have the next chapter written.

 **PenguinVuelve:** No worries, Penguin! Thank you for commenting, and I'm sorry about your stomach ache… I hope you're feeling better. Thank you for the positive vibes! Yeah, I emailed Development and they appear to have fixed the problem now. And yes—but not to worry. This chapter (hopefully) should have quelled your fluff needs.

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 _Alright, that's all for this week. I'll see y'all next week!_ **~ Burns**


	23. Sculptures

**Usual disclaimer.** _Hey. So I decided I'm just going to go and write whenever I can and upload thereafter. I can't stick to a schedule write now, I have too many things going on in my life. I hope you guys understand :) Please keep reviewing, it really does help me get the motivation to write. With that said, enjoy this chapter! **ALSO WE HIT 10,000 VIEWS. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH. I LOVE YOU.**_

* * *

"Otho, I am sick and tired of waiting for you to take responsibility for your element!" Chara, the water Goddess, argued with the God of Fire.

" _My_ element?! Your element has people leaving from it too!" he cried back at her. He looked around the table incredulously. The short haired God looked around at his fellow Gods and Goddesses.

"In fact, people from _all_ the elements have been leaving. Just because my element has the most people leaving does not mean that I am the only one to fault. As Gita can confirm, I can't convince a normal mortal to stay. I'd burn their soul before I even got a chance to speak," he said. He looked over to Gita, who was sitting just outside the conference. She stepped forward.

"He is right. As you all well know, one has to have an elevated consciousness in order to speak with a God. Many in the Order do not possess such a thing; therefore, it is true. Otho can do nothing to stop people of Fire from leaving," Gita said. Plinius looked to Horatius.

"Your thoughts on this, as the God of Death?" he asked, exasperation clear in his voice. Horatius stood, his fingers pressing down into the table as he leaned over ominously.

"The souls that I have collected as of late seem… troubled. Worried, I might say. Amira Jabari, when she came through the Veil, said an ugly storm was brewing. She said that these events were the cause of something not…," he glanced over at Gita.

"You must leave, Gita. Your ears are not ready for this news—but know this: a force reawakening will return soon, and ink shall submerge the lungs."

Gita was plunged back to reality.

Every once in a while, she was able to call upon the Gods in a trance-like state when she was praying, and today was one of those days. She wanted—no, _needed_ —answers. She clenched her fists tightly at the thought that Horatius dismissed her so easily, knowing full well that she should have heard what he was saying too.

 _Gita._

Her eyes snapped open quickly, looking around for a source of the sound but to know avail.

 _It is Floriana, child. Do not fret._

Gita relaxed instantly, comforted by the Goddess's voice.

"What is it you require of me, dearest Floriana?" Gita said. Of all the Gods, Floriana had been of the most help as the years had gone, helping guide her through the trials and tribulations of leadership.

 _You must speak to Noa. He has awakened, and it would be to your benefit to speak to him. Whether he will give you his information or not, you must find out. Ink is present, Gita. Be careful that you do not drown in it._

Gita rose from her place immediately, ignoring the protesting that her bones were giving her from sitting in one position for so long. She knew what she needed to do. As she walked out of the prayer room, blowing out the flames with air from her fingertips, she picked up a deliberate pace toward the Medical Ward.

"Milady!" a deep voice boomed. The figure of Dr. Faucheux came into view, a tall, broad shouldered man with chestnut hair and a clean-shaven face. Her black eyes connected with his hazel gaze.

"Yes, Doctor?" she asked.

"It appears that Noa will be alright," he said, "there were only minor wounds, and the worst to come of his condition was a concussion caused by impact to his temple." Gita breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is he awake, Doctor?"

"I'm afraid not. He needs to rest for another day before he even has a chance of becoming conscious, Milady," he said. She grimaced, lips curling downward.

"Alright. The moment he wakes up, I need to be informed, David. Understood?" It was less of a question and much more of a demand. He nodded.

"Understood."

* * *

"Alright Papa, ready?" Elsa said, smiling. She, Anna and her father had made their way down to Arendelle to view the second exhibit of the season. Around this time of the year, artists started making their debuts for the season; this one would be no different. There were several works whom she enjoyed: Kal Kinderson, Jack Nilfe, Rod Pöltin, etc. There was one man, though, that was both her and her father's favorite.

Josh Harper.

American born, he often expressed his thoughts on the world with his sculptures. There was one sculpture, in particular, that made her love his work above everyone else's: Globe on Fire. He sculpted a globe and put red, yellow and orange lights at different angles to illuminate it. When asked what it meant, he said there was two meanings.

" _One, that I think that the world is becoming consumed by hatred in certain areas, and the burning of fury and the coldness of mistreatment come together to display that. The second, however, is that this is what goes on in my head. My world, the world inside of my brain, is constantly burning with new ideas, with better ideas, with thoughts, with wishes. I wanted to convey that here," he said._

Elsa found that to be the day she truly understood his work. She began crafting sculptures like that when she could, exposing her brain space in order to free her mind of bad thoughts, even in the most minuscule of ways.

"Elsa?" Her father called, pulling her out of her thoughts. She turned to look at him, his ashen skin not seeming so grey today, and the tank that he had now looking lighter than usual.

"Yes, Papa?" She asked. He smiled at her kindly, taking her hand in his as he looked forward toward the exhibit.

"Thank you." She squeezed his hand in response.

Anna had gone on ahead, be it because she was fascinated by the sculptures or that she wanted Elsa and Agdar to have some alone time Elsa couldn't be sure. Maybe it was a little of both.

"Your mother and I had our first date at one of these exhibits, you know," Agdar said softly. There was a small grin gracing his lips. "January 23, 1993. James Gotzinski was the featured artist. He was a revolutionary of his time; the Josh Harper of the early 90s. It amazes me how non-Elementals can achieve with just their hands." He turned to Elsa, who was mulling over the fact that she and Anna had had their first date at the Ice Music Festival in Geilo.

"You mother was wearing a purple sweater that night, with black jeans and a pair of converse. She was never a flashy person, not even back in her youth," he said. A beat. "Elsa, I need you to promise me something." She glanced his way.

"Be strong, my girl. I fear that my end is going to be sooner rather than later," he said. Her eyes misted over. He shook his head. "Tonight is a happy occasion, my dear. Cry not." She sniffed and dabbed her tear ducts, nodding. Anna came back then, smile wide.

"Guys, I found this wonderful artist named Josh Harper. His piece… It's outright stunning," she said. Noticing Elsa's odd behavior, she made eye contact and sent her a gaze that said 'are you ok?'. Elsa mouthed the word later and Anna nodded. For now, that was enough.

"Now come on, let's go see him!" They walked over at a steady pace, one that was quicker but not enough to strain Agdar's lungs. They stopped at a few ice sculptures along the way, marveling in the intricate detail put in. Eventually they reached Harper's exhibit, a series of three statues entitled _Ozymandias_. The first was of a man, presumably a Egyptian pharaoh , standing tall and proud, a look of cruelness set upon his face as his staff resided on the platform of ice below him. The detail was incredible, every wrinkle in his face present and every ripple of muscle shown. The next showed what was supposedly half of the same statue, and finally only the legs in the last sculpture.

A man came up beside Elsa as she marveled at the works, wondering the piece before her. His face was shielded by the white cloth of his hoodie.

"Have you heard the poem _Ozymandias_ , miss?" His deep voice said, starting Elsa out of her thoughts. She turned to him and shook her head, wondering why his voice sounded vaguely familiar. "Well, dear, it goes as follows:"

I met a traveller from an antique land,  
Who said—"Two vast and trunkless legs of stone  
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,  
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,  
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,  
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read  
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,  
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;  
And on the pedestal, these words appear:  
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;  
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!  
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay  
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare  
The lone and level sands stretch far away."

The man pushed back his hood, revealing copper skin and long black hair. Elsa knew that face somewhere, somehow. He looked over to her with kind brown eyes, a small smile cracking his visage.

"I made these sculptures in the hopes to represent my view on what is happening in my native country, with the leader we currently have," he said, distaste crinkling his nose. "Or for any leader that gets drunk on power, for that matter." Then it clicked in Elsa's brain.

"You're Josh Harper?!" She exclaimed. He chuckled and nodded.

"Not so loud, please. And I'd prefer if you'd call me by my true name, Cha'Tima," he said, "I take pride in my Hopi blood, when no one is looking."

While she didn't understand what he meant, she shook his hand.

"What is… Hopi? And why do you go by Josh Harper?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not everyone in this world likes me, my friend. I am called Josh Harper for safety reasons. And the Hopi are a Native American Nation, from the United States. I was once one of them," Cha'Tima said. Her father came up to the pair and introduced himself to Cha'Tima, complimenting his works and asking the meaning behind them.

"Ozymandias, huh?" Agdar said, "Ramesses II, as he is otherwise known. Had power through the fear that he instilled upon others. I wonder, then, if he was truly powerful or just a scary man?"

Elsa wondered that likewise.

* * *

 _Agent C:_

 _Hello my friend. It has been too long since we have spoken. You have been well, I should hope._

 _After careful consideration by myself and the Council, we have decided to invite you to join our ranks. You, being a man in power, would immediately have an elevated position, being placed in our diplomatic sector. With this opportunity, you would report to us the whereabouts of Elementals in your country and talk to leaders of other nations to try and persuade them to join our side in the upcoming circumstances._

 _Upon receiving this letter, which I would assume to be on 13 December, I would like to receive an answer within a fortnight on your decision. Think on this offer, and if it appeals to you, we will work out the other benefits of your position upon your decision._

 _Signed,_

 _King Rí_

Claude put the letter down on his desk and leaned back in his soft leather chair, the only sound present the crackling of the fireplace. He turned to it, the orange flames reflecting in his irises as he thought.

"Heavenly Father above, hear my prayer: guide me to the correct choice in this matter: the matter of removing sorcery that offends your name. I wish to join the King's Ranks, but is it the wisest choice? In this, I am not certain."

He sunk a little further into his chair, liking the comfort it provided him. He released a breath, deflating a little as he tapped his foot on the floor. Nobody disturbed him at this hour of the night, not even his wife. He would have time to think throughout the evening, but for now, he had more important matters to attend to.

 _She_ kept popping up, and he could not remove her from his life. An idea sprung across his head, and he smiled sickeningly, turning back to his desk and picking up a pen quickly.

"My dear, your time is done."

* * *

"Milady!" A voice cried to Gita. Her head snapped from the papers she was signing up to an out of breath Vishal, his Chest heaving as if he had ran from one side of Temple to the other.

"Yes, Vishal?" She asked. His eyes connected with hers.

"My cousin has awakened."

* * *

 **A/N:** _I am sorry (jk lol) for the cliff hanger. I don't often do one, so I can have my fun every once in a while. I love you guys, thanks for sticking with me :)_

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 **And now, for the reviews! (thanks to everyone who fav'd, followed, reviewed and PM'd this time. Y'all kick ass!)**

 **Strazsa:** 1\. It's supposed to be. Tension always has a resolution, no?

2\. What can ya do? I'm just trying to get writing done between school and scholarships and my school's band and work… Time is limited, and the people that do review keep me going.

3\. Hey man, it's ok. I appreciate the reviews that are given, and trust me, I check them and they keep me going. I just haven't had time to post this yet, that's all.

 **PenguinVuelve:** Now you know :) no worries, all that matters is that you reviewed :)

 **TheMythRider:** thanks! Tell Birger I said hi, would you?

 **Soybean16 (on ch.4):** thank you for the constructive criticism. I'll keep that in mind in future chapters.

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 _Alright guys, I'll see you next time!_ **~ Burns**


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